Garden Waste Collections
Payments and further information
Household garden waste collections are an optional and chargeable service available to residents within the Blaby District. Collections take place every two weeks (on the same day as your recycling) between March and November. There are no collections between December and February.
Stickers will no longer be used from 1 April 2026 and will be managed by our back office system and in-cab devices. we still recommend to sign up early for the service.
- The subscription period runs from 1 April to 31 March each year. There are no pro rata reductions for 'in year' payments, so if possible, ensure you subscribe before 1 April to benefit from a full year's service
- You will need to subscribe annually to have your garden waste collected
- If you are an existing Direct Debit customer your subscription will automatically renew each year (you do not need to contact us or complete the form below)
The button above takes you to the payment form to subscribe for the first time or renew your previous subscription.
- Payment is taken in advance by credit or debit card using the 'subscribe or renew garden waste' link below. (To pay by Direct Debit you need to subscribe by 15 February.)
- Once paid our system will be updated within 24 hours to enable collections to take place
- Only bins with valid subscriptions will be emptied
By agreeing to pay for the above service, the resident(s) (you) will be accepting the terms and conditions below; by proceeding to make a subscription or renew a subscription you are deemed to have read and accepted the terms and conditions.
You have agreed to pay Blaby District Council to collect garden waste that has been placed in a brown lidded garden waste wheeled bin. The service is provided fortnightly between March and November, there are no collections between December - February.
The subscription period for the service is for 20 collections, fixed between the dates of 1 April to 31 March.
Payment is required each year in advance of receiving the service. Once payment is received, your account will be marked to show that you have a valid subscription. The subscription will become active within 24 hours of payment being received by Blaby District Council. For customers paying by Direct Debit no further action is required.
Pro rata payments for the service are not available. If purchasing the service part way through the fixed subscription period there will be no reductions to the annual price of the service.
If you move house within the district you will be entitled to transfer your subscription to your new home. You will need to contact us in order to do this using the details below. Please do not take your bin with you to your new home. Blaby District Council will arrange for a bin to be delivered (if required) for your new address and your address registered to show that you have a valid subscription.
Subscription payment refunds will not be provided (in full or in part) where:
- You move out of the district at any time
- Blaby District Council miss the collection of your garden waste bin (we may return to empty your bin if it is found that we were at fault)
- Where waste in a bin is frozen or heavily compacted to such an extent that it won’t fall out of the bin when turned on the vehicle lift mechanism
- You stop using the service for any reason
Brown-lidded garden waste bins must only be used to dispose of compostable garden waste. Acceptable materials are listed on the webpage below. Collection crews will not collect waste from any bin that contains unsuitable material and will log the issue. In this instance, no return collections will be possible until your next scheduled collection and once any non-accepted items have been removed.
Compostable garden waste can be heavy. If the weight of a bin is not at a safe and manageable level for the collection crew (usually due to the material being compacted and/or wet) then the collection will be rejected and logged. No return collections will be possible until your next scheduled collection, and some of the material will need to be removed by the customer in order to reach a safe and manageable weight.
Your brown-lidded garden waste bin should be presented for service by 6.30am on the scheduled collection day and be clearly visible and accessible next to the edge of the public highway (pavement).
All bins will remain the property of Blaby District Council at all times. If your bin becomes damaged as a result of wear and tear or during collection operations, Blaby District Council will replace or repair the bin at no charge. Please report bin damage to the council
Blaby District Council reserves the absolute right to suspend services when it is unable to collect your bins due to circumstances beyond its control. These circumstances include, but are not limited to; adverse weather, industrial action, nationally declared holidays provided at short notice, operational issues, national emergency. No reductions, refunds, or rescheduling will be made where Blaby District Council suspends this service.
We take all collected garden waste to local farmers, where it is composted and used on their own land.
The materials below can all be placed in your garden waste bin.
Garden bins - Accepted items
- Grass and hedge cuttings
- Twigs and small branches
- Weeds with soil shaken off
- Flowers and plants
- Leaves and bark
The materials below are examples of material that cannot be composted by local farmers and therefore cannot be placed in your garden waste bin.
Garden bins - Examples of items not accepted
- Any food waste (including wind-fallen fruit)
- Any plastic (including bags)
- Hardcore and soil
- Sand
- General refuse
- Animal waste
Food waste (including windfallen fruit from the garden) must not be placed in your garden waste bin. A weekly food waste collection service is in operation from April 2026.
In accordance with animal by-product regulations, and because fruit from the garden cannot be distinguished from kitchen food waste, the local farm where your garden waste is taken does not accept food waste in garden bins.
The composting facility is licensed to process garden waste only and is not permitted to handle food waste. Putting food in the garden waste bin could compromise compost quality and breach regulatory requirements.
Christmas trees can be taken to the household waste site (tip), alternatively you can contact local charities as these may offer a collection service such as LOROS (please be aware there may be a charge for this)
Moving within the district
When moving within the district, please leave your garden waste bin at your old property. You will need to inform us when you have moved house so we can organise the delivery of a new garden bin to you and update our records to make sure the invoice is going to the correct address. Tell us you're moving house.
Moving out of the district
If you move out of the district, we will no longer collect your garden waste. Please leave your bin at the property you are leaving. Please ensure to cancel your Direct Debit instruction with your bank as we do not offer refunds for this service.
Existing customers
How do I subscribe or renew?
Use the Subscribe or renew garden waste form above. Sign up as soon as possible to receive collections from 1 April. There are no pro rata reductions for ‘in year’ payments. Payment can be made by debit or credit card.
If you would like to change your current subscription
If you wish to make changes to your current subscription you can do so using the Subscribe or renew garden waste form.
On subscribing or renewing to the service you will have the option to increase or decrease the quantity and size of bins you have.
Garden waste bin stickers
Stickers will no longer be used for anyone who subscribes on or after 1 January 2026 (this will automatically include Direct debit customers). Our crews are equipped with devices that indicate the subscription status for each address. Displaying your house number or house name on your bin(s) helps ensure they are collected and returned to the right place.
What will it cost?
Two sizes of brown-lidded garden bin are available and you can subscribe to as many garden waste bins as you need. The costs are:
- A small 140-litre garden bin is £33.00 per year for each bin
- A large 240-litre garden bin is £48.00 per year for each bin
- A change from one size to another is £15.00 per year for each bin (this is only applicable after you have subscribed for the current year)
There are no pro-rata reductions for ‘in year’ payments, so if you want to benefit from a full year’s service you need to subscribe by 16 March to receive collections from 1 April.
For all subscriptions placed over the phone, a transaction fee of £2.50 will be applied to the total order.
For replacement of damaged or missing bins please visit our Replacement Bins Page.
If you have mobility or health issues you can request the Assisted Collections service to help you with your bin on collection day.
To report a missed collection please use the Missed Collections page
From 2025/26 we no longer use garden waste stickers