Garden waste collections

In Brent, green bins are for garden waste. You must subscribe and pay for this service.

Once you have subscribed, you will be sent a bin sticker valid for the subscription period. You must attach the bin sticker to the garden waste bin you intend to use.

Garden waste bins and bio sacks are collected every 2 weeks from March to November and once a month from December to February.

Use our bin collection day finder to find what day your garden waste collection is.

You must leave your garden waste bins or sacks as near to the pavement as possible for collection. Find out more on where to put your bins.

Alternatively, you can bring your garden waste to the Abbey Road Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.

It costs £60 a year for each garden waste collection. This price includes the rental of one garden waste bin and a minimum of 25 collections each year. If you would like an additional garden waste bin, you will need to sign up for an additional service.

The service runs from 1 April to 31 March. If you sign up to the garden waste service from October, we will charge you a reduced rate of £30 as the service will expire in March.

You can reduce the cost of the service by sharing a garden waste bin with your neighbour. Only one household needs to sign up for the service.

There is a 20% discount if you get the following benefits.

• Council Tax support
• Housing Benefit
• Income related job seekers allowance
• Pension credit (guaranteed rate)
• Income support
• Universal Credit (the Housing element)

You will need to apply for the discount online first and provide a copy of your benefit entitlement letter.

You can apply for this service online unless you wish to apply for a discount. You can pay online by credit or debit card, at the time of ordering.

When completing your form, you will need to tell us:

• your name, address and contact details
• how many collection services you want to sign up for
• how many bins you want
• your payment details

Before you apply, please read our terms and conditions.

Once you have signed up to the service, we will send you confirmation of your first collection date by email.

You will be sent a bin sticker in the post which you must attach on your garden waste bin prior to the start of your paid subscription period.

If you have applied for a discounted rate, once we have confirmed that you are eligible we will contact you within 7 working days to set up your service.

You must remember to renew your garden waste service by 1 April each year to avoid any disruption to your service.

You can renew your garden waste collection service online from early February 2024.

If you have a garden waste service and move home within Brent, just let us know and we will transfer your garden waste service to your new property.

If you move outside of Brent, tell us as soon as possible so we can cancel the service. We do not provide a refund if you cancel the service part way through the year.

This agreement is made between the customer (you) and Brent Council (us) and sets out the terms and conditions of use of the chargeable garden waste service.

Payment

1. The Garden Waste Service costs £60 each year for the period 1st April to 31st March.
2. You can either pay online or by phoning 020 8937 5050.
3. It can take up to 14 working days for your first collection to take place. This is because we need to send you a sticker and deliver a bin to you.
4. Payment taken will show on bank statements as being made to Veolia, who are managing the garden waste service on behalf of Brent Council.
5. You have 14 days after you sign up to cancel the service upon which a full refund will be issued.
6. After the initial 14 day cancellation period, the council will not refund the cost of a garden waste service, even if you no longer require the service.
7. The service is an annual service; and payment is required every year for the service to remain in place.
8. Where we have a valid e-mail address we will send you a reminders for renewal of the service from January the following year.
9. Automatic renewal is not in place and there is no direct debit payment scheme. If you want to sign up to the service next year, you will have to contact us to sign up. We do not store details of your payment method.
10. The annual payment made by you is for the supply of the garden waste service and not for the container or sacks. However, the payment means that we will also provide you with a container that you must use to contain your garden waste. We provide one container for each £60 payment and the container remains the property of Brent Council.
11. If you are renewing your service, we expect you already have a bin to use for the collection of your garden waste and therefore one will not automatically be offered.

Green Waste bin

1. The following can be included in a Green Waste bin: leaves and pruning’s, twigs and small branches, weeds, old plants and flowers (no soil), small quantities of fruit (if the bin is too heavy, it will not be emptied).
2. The following can not be included in a Green Waste bin: food waste, soil, rocks and stones, plant pots, trays or plastic bags, large trunks, large branches and logs.

Containers

1. The payment of £60 per year means that we agree to provide you with a container for the exclusive use of the garden waste service. The container will either be one 240L bin or a year’s supply of degradable sacks.
2. If you require us to provide you with an additional container, or more degradable sacks, you will be charged £60 for an additional garden waste service.
3. You will be able to sign up for multiple services and bins online.
4. You can only request the same number of bins that match the number of garden waste service that you have signed up for.
5. If you are renewing your existing service and want to sign up for an additional service, you will only be provided with a bin for the additional service.
6. A bin sticker will be issued which you will need to attach on your garden waste bin; showing the entitlement to collection for the paid subscription period for that particular bin.
7. You will receive one bin sticker for each service you have signed up to each year.
8. If you have only paid for one garden waste service at a property but there is more than one garden waste bin at that property, we will only empty garden waste from one bin with a valid bin sticker attached.
9. If you advise us during the year that your garden waste bin has gone missing, or been stolen and requires a replacement, we will provide you with;
   
   • A replacement bin which may or may not be brand new
   • A replacement bin sticker
   
   We reserve the right to remove any containers which are not being used as part of a valid paid for Garden Waste subscription service.
10. Any bin that has been lost or damaged will be replaced. You can order a replacement bin.
11. If you find your missing bin after we have delivered a replacement, please let us know.
12. We will not collect from more than one container unless you have paid for more than one garden waste service.
13. Most properties will be eligible for a 240L garden waste bin for the service. If there is no space for a bin in the front of the property, a request can be made for degradable sacks instead. A visit to assess suitable space for a container may be carried out by a member of staff.
    

Collection frequency

1. Collections are provided every two weeks from March to November and once a month from December to February.
2. You will be able to access and download a collection calendar online from the last week in March and enter your postcode into the ‘Find Your Collection Day’ search facility.

Presentation of containers

1. Garden waste containers must be presented for collection by the resident as near to the pavement as possible by 7am on the day of collection. The containers must still be within your property boundary and not placed on the pavement. If your garden waste bin or sack is not presented as near to the pavement as possible, we reserve the right not to collect your bin.
2. Your bin must be presented so that your bin sticker is visible from the road.
3. The bin lid must be fully closed otherwise the contractor may refuse the right to empty the bin.
4. If you share a bin with your neighbour, the bin must be presented for collection at the property of the person who has paid for the service. If it is not, and a missed collection is reported, we reserve the right to not collect the bin until the next collection date.
5. If you report a missed collection, but your container has not been correctly presented, we will not return to empty your container. You will need to wait until your next collection day for your container to be emptied.

Missed collections and non-collection of containers

1. If your garden waste bin does not have a valid bin sticker attached to it, it will not be collected.
2. If incorrect materials are placed into your bin, the council reserves the right not to empty your garden waste bin or take your sacks until you have removed the incorrect materials or items. Once the incorrect materials have been removed, your bin will be cleared on the next scheduled collection day.
3. A contamination tag may be left on your container advising you of the materials that can and cannot be placed in your garden waste container. You are required to remove any incorrect materials in the garden waste bin before the next collection.
4. If we do not collect your garden waste bin, you have two working days to report a missed collection to us, either using an online form or by calling 020 8937 5050.
5. We will not return to empty a missed collection if you do not report it to us within two working days of your normal collection day.
6. No refunds will be provided for non-collection of your garden waste for any reason.

Discounts

1. If you wish to share a garden waste bin with a neighbour, only one person needs to sign up to the garden waste service. The garden waste service will be registered at one property only.
2. It will be up to individual neighbours to identify how they split the cost of the garden waste service.
3. If you sign up to the service from the 1st October a discount will apply. You will be charged £30 for the service until the end of March (a 6-month period). If you are in receipt of certain benefits, you are entitled to a 20 percent discount on the total cost of the garden waste service.
4. The benefits which entitle you to a discount are: Council Tax Support, Housing Benefit, Income related job seekers allowance, Pension Credit (guaranteed rate) and Income Support.
5. From 2019, some of these benefits may be contained within the overarching benefit allowance of Universal Credit.
6. The Council holds data on whether you are in receipt of Council Tax Support and we can automatically check that your discount applies if you are in receipt of this benefit.
7. You may be required to provide us with proof of other benefits. If suitable proof cannot be provided, it remains the discretion of the council as to whether to apply the discount.
8. Generally, proof will be required in the form of a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), including for those in receipt of Universal Credit, confirming that you are in receipt of the eligible benefit/s.
9. You will be able to either scan in a copy of your letter from the Department of Work and Pensions, using our online form or send a photocopy to the address we provide you with when the information is required.
10. The service can only start when confirmation of your receipt of benefits has been confirmed by us.

Changing address

1. If you move property within the borough of Brent, your garden waste service will be transferred to your new property. You must let us know that you have changed address within 5 working days of moving to your new property.
2. You will be responsible for moving your garden waste bin from your old property to your new address within Brent.
3. If you have an active garden waste subscription, you will be issued with a replacement bin sticker for your new address.
4. If you move to a property outside of Brent, please let us know so that we can cancel the garden waste service. You will not be entitled to a refund.