The Controlled Waste Regulations 2012 allow the council to make a charge for the collection of garden waste. We have brought in this charge in because the government has reduced the amount of money it provides to us to run many of our services. If we continued to provide the service for free we would have to make savings elsewhere, which would impact a far greater number of people.

Subscriptions from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 cost £45 per bin. There are no concessions.

Subscription can be made by credit or debit card at www.lancaster.gov.uk/garden-waste.

The charge is £45 from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 irrespective of when in the year you choose to subscribe.

The minimum number of collections is 20, for those subscribing from 1 April. We will suspend the garden waste collection service for a viable period between December and February annually. Please refer to your collection calendar.

We reserve the right to reduce/withdraw collections for events out of our control, such as severe weather conditions. 

Collections are fortnightly and are shown on your collection calendar.

Find out what can and cannot be placed in your garden waste bin.

Sharing a bin with a neighbour is an option for those who have small gardens but one person must take responsibility for the bin, including the subscription.

Residents of properties with communal gardens are welcome to subscribe to the garden waste service. However, residents and/or the management company must nominate one person who is then responsible for the subscription.

You can subscribe as many bins as you need at the standard charge.

We will send you a sticker to put on your bin. The sticker will be replaced each year following renewal of the annual subscription. Collection crews will also have a corresponding list of those properties that have subscribed.

Subscriptions are not transferable and are per bin per property. The garden waste bin must be left at the property for which the subscription has been made. If you move to a different address within the district and the property is already subscribed you don’t need to do anything. If you want to join the service at the new address you have to pay a new subscription.

• Order bins, boxes and bags

Other than compliance with the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation & Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 where consumer have 14 days from acknowledgement of the terms and conditions to request cancellation of the service, there are no refunds or part refunds for the cancellation of the service part way through the year. Neither are there refunds for any collections that may have been missed. 

If your property is subscribed to the collection service, please report your bin as missed after 6pm on the day of collection. If it is our fault we will return to empty the bin within three working days.

If it is as a result of the occupant not presenting the bin by 7am on the collection day, to the correct collection point or it is contaminated, or too heavy, then we will not return. 

We will not collect any bin that is not subscribed to the service. 

No, unless you have been accepted on the Assisted Collection scheme, the current terms and conditions will remain in place the service will continue to be a kerbside collection, bins need to be left out for collection by 7am on the correct collection day. 

This is an opt-in scheme. You do not have to take part or pay the subscription. Alternative options to dispose of garden waste include home composting or taking it to the household waste recycling centres at Salt Ayre or Keer Bridge.

The subscription is for the collection of garden waste, not provision of a bin. If bins are lost or stolen a service admin charge will be levied for a replacement. A replacement sticker will be supplied so you can continue to opt into the collection. 

• Order bins, boxes and bags

No, unless the green bin has been damaged and you have ordered a replacement bin.

If you do not wish to subscribe to the garden waste collection service, and no longer require your green garden waste bin please contact Customer Services to arrange removal. Please note that a delivery charge is payable if you wish to have the bin returned.  

A resident can subscribe to as many green bins as is required at a property. 

There are no concessions.

Your grey wheelie bin/grey-lidded wheelie bin is for non-recyclable household waste only. 

No, we will only remove garden waste contained in your garden waste bin where a subscription has been paid.

Please see our terms and conditions page.