Garden Waste

How to subscribe to our Garden Waste service

The current price is £62 per year.

When you register for a new garden waste collection, we will deliver a brown bin. Deliveries can take up to 10 working days. Collections start once you have the bin.

The current price is £62 for a year. The garden waste collection service operates on a rolling year basis. This means you will renew your service every year exactly one year from the date of payment.

Already have a bin? Then collections will start 3 days after you make the payment.

Garden Waste Sign Up

If you decide to stop the garden waste collection service the council does not offer refunds.

How to renew your Garden Waste subscription

Please make sure there are 3 working days or more before your renew date when renewing. If we do not receive your renewal in time, you may miss a collection.

If your renewal date is on or after the 1 June, the price is the new rate even if you renew before this date.

Renew Garden Waste Service

Changes to your Garden Waste subscription

You can manage your garden waste subscription by visit your garden waste account. You can update your address and cancel your subscription.

If you are moving and taking the garden waste subscription with you, please remember to take the bin.

What do I put in?

+ Yes please!


	Grass Cuttings
	Hedge Trimmings
	Prunings and small branches
	Weeds and leaves
	Dead plants

+ No thanks!


	Building rubble
	Household or food waste
	Paints and liquids
	Logs and tree stumps
	Plant pots and polystyrene
	Turf or soil

Don't forget, garden waste can be composted to use back in the garden.

You can also take garden waste to the Household waste and recycling centre where it is composted for farmers in Kent to use on their fields.

Frequently Asked Questions

+ What is the garden waste collection service?

Anyone who registers for garden waste collections (at a current cost of £62 a year) will receive a new 240 litre brown wheeled container and will have their garden waste collected every fortnight (except at Christmas and New Year).

The garden waste service operates on a rolling year basis. This means that a customer will need to renew their service exactly one year from the date of joining.

Please note: If you decide to stop the garden service the council does not offer refunds as it would be uneconomical due to the administration costs involved.

+ What if I have not renewed my subscription, but I want to keep my bin?

Sorry! The cost of the annual subscription includes hiring the brown bin, and we may need to take the bin back if you are no longer using the service. This is so we can keep the bins in use and give them to new subscribers wherever possible, instead of spending more money on buying new ones. Any damaged or broken bins will not be reused.

You do not have to renew your subscription but please be aware that if you do NOT renew your subscription, your garden waste will no longer be collected and you may have to give back your brown bin. The council will contact you to arrange this.

We have a database of all properties that have paid to use the service, and will not collect garden waste presented from any home that is not registered.

General information

+ How often will my garden waste be collected?

Garden waste collections are fortnightly (except at Christmas and New Year).

+ Why isn't it free?

Garden waste collections are not a statutory service for local councils to provide. However, residents have told us that they would be willing to pay for an opt-in garden waste service, which is why we are providing one for a small fee. The cost of the service is similar to other local authorities in the county.

Also, by no longer taking garden waste with household refuse, we can ensure it is properly composted and reused, instead of being sent for incineration.

+ Do I have to use this service?

No – it is completely up to you if you want to register for these collections. If you do not have a garden, or do not want to pay for your garden waste to be collected, you do not have to use the service.

+ Where else can I dispose of my green waste?

If you do not want to use the new paid-for service, you can either compost your garden trimmings at home or take them to the KCC Recycling Centre on the Cobbs Wood Industrial Estate.

+ Will extra waste be collected if my bin is full?

We can only take away garden waste put out in your garden waste container – we will NOT take side waste.

+ I want to use the service, but I have too much/not enough garden waste for one container.

There are plenty of ways you can make the most of the new garden waste service. The cost of the service is per container, so you can arrange privately to share the bin – and the cost – with a neighbour, or you can apply for more than one bin.

+ What happens if my garden waste is not collected?

If your garden waste is not collected on your scheduled day this needs to be left out and reported within two working days so that a collection can be made. If this is not reported within two working days it will not be collected until the next scheduled collection. No refund will be issued for a missed collection.

+ What if my new container is stolen?

We can replace a stolen bin free of charge. You should report any missing bins by calling Ashford Borough Council on 01233 331111. You will also be able to report stolen bins online in the near future.

Our collection vehicles have an on board data base listing all properties that have registered and paid for the garden waste service. Therefore, if a garden waste bin is placed outside a property that has not registered for it, will not be emptied.

+ I'm elderly or disabled and struggle to put my garden waste out for collection, can I get help?

Yes, we can arrange for you to have an assisted collection.

+ If I don't want a new bin, can I leave my garden waste out in black bags?

We no longer collect garden waste in black bags left out with your normal rubbish. If you do not want to use the new paid-for service, you can either compost your garden trimmings at home or take them to the KCC Recycling Centre on the Cobbs Wood Industrial Estate.