Recycling garden waste

Please note garden waste and cardboard collections are currently alternating monthly on your recycling day. The service will return to its normal fortnightly cycle from Monday 28 September. Find out more.

Which container?

Garden waste can be put in your brown lidded bin.

What can you put in the garden bin?

Yes please...

• Shrub prunings
• Garden weeds
• Plants and leaves
• Hedge trimmings
• Dead flowers
• Cut grass
• Small tree branches.

No thanks...

• Food waste (this includes any type of food from your kitchen or garden)
• Pet waste or bedding
• Soil or rubble
• Ash
• Building materials
• Plastic carrier or polythene bags
• No ceramic/plastic plant pots or plastic trays
• Domestic waste 
• Cardboard or paper
• Compostable/biodegradable bags or film

Where does it go?

Find out what happens to your garden waste.

Home composting

Home composting is the best environmental option for garden waste as the material doesn't need to be transported anywhere. See our composting page for more information.

Frequently asked questions

What if I already compost all my garden waste and don't want a garden waste bin?

Obviously we don't want to stop you home composting - because this is the best thing to do.

But even if there are only small amounts of branches or prunings that you used to throw away in your black bin, these could go in the brown lidded bin. If you feel that you won't use the bin you can request us to remove the bin.

What happens if I am producing more garden waste than will fit in the bin?

Home composting is the first and best thing you can do with any garden waste.

Other ways to deal with garden waste are to make a compost heap, spread grass cuttings in flower borders or under shrubs. You can mulch the waste to reduce volume, take excess to the local tip or stagger the waste until the next collection.

Why can't I throw food waste in my brown bin?

We cannot accept food waste in the brown lidded bin because the facility where we take the garden waste will not accept these materials as they are not licensed to.

But these items are easily home composted. We are also trialling weekly, separate food waste collections, in and around Measham, as part of our Recycle more... action plan.

Why can't I put compostable/biodegradable bags or film in my brown bin?

We are not able to accept compostable/biodegradable bags or film in the garden bin. This is because the garden waste is sent to an outdoor composting facility. The process the garden waste goes through does not allow compostable/biodegradable bags or film to breakdown quick enough as it doesn’t involve heat to allow this such as in-vessel composting.

Please dispose of these bags or film by disposing of them in the black domestic waste bin.