We offer fortnightly garden waste collections to more than 190,000 eligible properties in County Durham between April and November. There is a fee for this service.

Subscribe and pay online

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Please make sure you have read our Garden waste terms and conditions first. The terms and conditions have been updated for 2018.

Please note: if you subscribed by 14 February you'll get all 17 collections in 2018. If you subscribed after this date, we'll arrange for your collections to start as soon as possible and you'll receive the remaining collections before the scheme ends for the year in November.

Step by step guide

How much does it cost

• one year subscription fee £30
• three year subscription fee £90

Please note: the annual subscription fee will increase to £35 in 2019 and 2020. The three year subscription option is only available in 2018.

This fee is for collections from one garden waste bin. If your property has not previously received the garden waste collection service and you do not have a garden waste bin, we will provide your first bin free of charge.

Additional bins

The above prices are for one garden waste bin to be emptied. If you'd like more than one garden waste bin, each additional bin is £20. You'll also need to pay the relevant subscription fee for each additional bin to be emptied, currently £30 for the annual option or £90 for the three year option.

Ways to pay for garden waste collections

If you don't want to pay online, there are other ways to sign up and pay for garden waste collections.

Collection areas, eligibility and your right of appeal

Find a map of the areas covered by the garden waste scheme, what criteria properties must meet to be eligible and how to appeal if you think your household should have been included on our garden waste eligibility page.

Garden waste in the Teesdale area is collected by Teesdale Conservation Volunteers (Rotters website). 

Bin stickers and calendars

If you subscribed to the collection service before 14 February 2018, your sticker would have been delivered during February/March before the collection service started. 

If the service had already started before you subscribed, we would issue your garden waste sticker within 10 working days of receipt of payment. Exemptions to these clauses apply during inclement weather, in cases of operational difficulty or any event of 'Force Majeure' and during the winter suspension period of December to March).

If you have not received a calendar, sticker or bin and you have paid for the service, you can report this using the garden waste enquiry form or contact us and quote your garden waste reference number.

What goes in the garden waste bin

It is important that you only put items that can be composted in your garden waste bin. Find out what goes in the bin on our what goes where web page.

Other ways to dispose of, or reduce, your garden waste

If your property isn't eligible for garden waste collections, or you don't want to subscribe to the service, there are other ways to dispose of garden waste.

Can I swap my garden waste bin for a larger bin?

If you currently have a small garden waste bin you can exchange it for a standard sized garden waste bin.

Got more questions about the garden waste collection service?

Please see the frequently asked questions for further information and answers to questions you may have.