FAQs
What is the Garden Waste Collection Service?
It is an opt in service to have garden waste collected fortnightly from your existing green bin. The service started in April 2024. The service is free for the first year with a £50 charge to be introduced for collections from April 2025.
How can I sign up?
If you require a collection of garden waste for the remainder of the year (until end of March 2025) you can request a free sticker by contacting Customer Services on 020 8207 7454.
You will be able to sign up and pay for the new service on this page from mid January. You can sign up to our e-newsletter to be reminded when it's available or if you are already signed up to the service you will automatically receive a reminder in January.
Why are you now charging for garden waste collections?
Unlike household waste and recycling there's no legal requirement to collect garden waste and councils can charge for collections. The income from charging for garden waste collections will make the service self-financing. Well over half of all councils in England charge for this service and have done for many years. Not all properties in Hertsmere require a garden waste collection service as they do not have a garden. Introducing a charge means that only households that choose to use the service will pay. This is similar to bulky waste collections where only households requesting the service have to pay.
Why has the first year been free?
Since the original announcement of our changes to the waste and recycling service, we were able to access funds that allowed us to offer a free subscription for garden waste collection from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. However, a paid for subscription will be required from April 2025.
Do other councils make a charge for collecting garden waste bins?
Yes. Eight out of the ten councils in Hertfordshire also run a garden waste collection service, including two of the highest performing authorities in the UK; St Albans District and City Council and Three Rivers District Council.
Will I get a reduction in my council tax if I don’t subscribe to the garden waste collection service?
No. Garden waste is a non-statutory service so the money Street Scene Services receives from council tax payments is not used to pay for the current green waste service.
How much will the Garden Waste Collection Service cost?
The subscription cost for collections from April 2025 is £50 for the first green bin. Additional green bins will be £60 each with a maximum of three green bins collected per property.
What communications will I receive regarding my sign up?
Once you have signed up to the service you will receive an acknowledgment email and then a letter through the post that contains your subscription sticker. You should follow the instructions and put this on your bin as soon as you receive it. If you are signed up to the service you will automatically receive a renewal reminder each year before the new year's subscription is due.
I have filled out the online subscription form but not received my sticker, what do I do?
Stickers can take up to 10 days to arrive. If it has been longer than 10 days and you still haven't received your sticker please
contact us.
Can I sign up part way through the year?
Yes, you can sign up at any time but the cost will remain the same throughout the year regardless of when you sign up.
Can I have more than one green bin?
Yes. You can sign up to receive a collection of up to three green bins in total. Additional bins to purchase are £42 each. From April 2025 all additional bins will also be subject to a £60 subscription charge.
Do the garden waste collections run all year round?
The garden waste service will run throughout the year except for two weeks (one collection) over the Christmas/New Year period.
How will collection staff know if I have signed up to the new service?
You will receive a new pink sticker through the post which must be placed on your bin to identify it as part of the new year's service (1 April 25 - 31 March 26). You should put this on your bin as soon as you receive it. The sticker should be displayed on the back of your bin underneath the handles and the bin should be presented for collection with the handles and sticker facing out toward the road so the sticker is clearly visible to the collection crew. The collection crew will also have details of properties that are signed up to the service. Clearly numbering your bin(s) will help to ensure that the crew can easily identify it for collection.
How can I stop other people putting their waste into my garden waste bin?
You should store your bin within your property boundary until collection day in the same way that you would with your other containers.
Will I still have an assisted collection for the Garden Waste Collection Service?
Yes, if you already have an assisted collection for your green bin this will continue.
What do I do if I don’t want to sign up to the Garden Waste Collection Service? Will you take my green bin away?
If you decide not to sign up to the Garden Waste Collection Service, you do not need to contact us to tell us. You are free to keep your bin and use it for storage but if you would like us to remove it please
contact us to arrange.
How do I dispose of my garden waste if I choose not to sign up to the Garden Waste Collection Service?
There is always the option to compost garden waste at home. We have partnered with Get Composting to offer compost bins at a subsidised rate. Please visit www.getcomposting.com or for more information on how to get started see Home Composting.
You can also take your garden waste to your local Recycling Centre. Please note this is for garden waste only.
Can I put garden waste in my black bin?
We strongly discourage residents from placing garden waste in the black bin as there are alternative, more environmentally friendly ways to dispose of it.
You can compost garden waste at home. We have partnered with Get Composting to offer compost bins at a subsidised rate. Please visit www.getcomposting.com or for more information on how to get started see Home Composting.
You can also take your garden waste to your local Recycling Centre. Additional side waste and overfilled bins will not be collected.
Can I have garden waste collections if I live in a flat?
If you live in a flat but you have your own garden you can still opt into the service. If you have communal gardens you should contact your managing agent or housing association, as they will be responsible for the removal of garden waste.
I’m a managing agent, how do I sign up to the service on behalf of the residents?
You can sign up in the same way as a resident. You will be responsible for ensuring your residents use the bin correctly, for cleaning the bin and dealing with any issues around using or sharing the bin.
Can I share a green bin with my neighbour?
You can share a green garden waste bin with your neighbour as an informal arrangement, but we can only deal with one account holder.
What is accepted in the green bin Garden Waste Collection Service?
Garden waste including:
✓ Grass cuttings ✓ Hedge clippings
✓ Small tree prunings, branches/twigs and bark ✓ Flowers
✓ Tree branches (up to 6 inches in diameter), ✓ Fallen fruit
✓ Plants with excess soil removed ✓ Leaves
✓ Moss, weeds (excluding controlled weeds such as Japanese Knotweed)
✓ Real Christmas trees without decorations or a pot.
✓ Food waste is acceptable until the separate food waste collection is introduced in April 2025. This includes meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, leftovers plus bones and shells.
How do I receive a refund if I have changed my mind or accidentally ordered more subscriptions than I need?
You can email customer.services@hertsmere.gov.uk with your name, address and your request. As per the
terms and conditions any cancellations need to be within 14 days of payment.
Can I take the service with me when I move house?
If you move house the service will continue at your old address and the new owners can decide upon renewal if they wish to carry on with the service. If you move house within Hertsmere and would like to continue using the garden waste service you will need to purchase a new subscription.
What will happen if someone puts their green bin out for collection but they have not signed up to the service?
Their green bin will not be collected. Only bins with a relevant subscription sticker on will be emptied.
What can I do with my food waste if I don’t sign up to the Garden Waste Collection Service?
We are introducing a new food waste collection service in April 2025. From January-March you will receive a new food bin, caddy liners and instructions on food waste recycling. Until then you can continue to put food waste in your green bin with your garden waste. After April 2025, green bins will be for garden waste only.
If I have missed the start date for the annual subscription, can I have a discount?
No. Whilst you can sign up at any time, the cost will remain the same throughout the year and subscription will run from the 1st April to 31st March the following year.
If my green bin with a subscription sticker on it goes missing, what do I do?
The sticker has your address and an individual reference number on it so can’t be used by anyone else. Check your neighbour's bins incase they have brought it in by mistake. If it doesn’t turn up please
contact us to arrange for a replacement sticker to be sent out. This will be different in design to the original sticker so our crew know to only empty the bin with this new sticker on.
If my bin has been missed, can I have a refund?
No, this service is non-refundable. Please check that your bin was out on the correct day/week, on the boundary on time and didn't contain anything it shouldn’t. If all of these apply then please contact us within 48 hours of your collection or fill in our online missed bin report form within 48 hours of your scheduled collection and we
Missed collections will return to collect it.