Garden waste collection service

Garden waste must not be put in refuse (general rubbish) or recycling bins.

Instead, garden waste can be taken to a recycling centre in Suffolk.

Another way to recycle garden waste is via home composting.

We can also collect garden waste via our paid for subscription service.

The annual cost of this service is £59.00 per garden waste (brown) bin, plus a one-off administration charge of £10.00 for new or additional subscriptions.

Garden waste is collected every fortnight, apart from two weeks over the Christmas and New Year period when the service is paused.

Your application might need to be assessed to see if it is possible to carry out your collections safely.

Before you apply, please read the garden waste collection service terms and conditions. Plus, find out what can and can't be put into a garden waste bin.

Apply for a new or additional garden waste collection service subscription

We will aim to deliver the bin as soon as possible. However, during busy periods, this could take up to four weeks.

The 12 month subscription period will only start once the bin has been delivered.

The bin will be clean and useable, but it may not be new. You do not need to be at home when the bin is delivered.

To renew your garden waste collection service subscription, you will need your customer and invoice number.

These numbers are at the top of the renewal invoice, which you should receive approximately one month before the expiry date.

If you do not know your customer or invoice number, please email Waste Services.

Pay a renewal invoice

Moving home within the districts?

If you are moving home within Babergh or Mid Suffolk, you can take your garden waste (brown) bin with you. 

Inform us of your new address, so we can update your subscription and start collecting from your new property.

Leaving the districts?

If you are moving out of the districts, please email Waste Services so we can cancel your subscription and collect your brown bin.

Please note that we are unable to provide full or partial subscription refunds.

If you wish to cancel, or not renew, your garden waste collection service subscription, please email Waste Services. 

We will then arrange the collection of your brown bin.

Please note that we are unable to provide full or partial subscription refunds.

Last updated November 2022

1. For an annual subscription fee, the Council agrees to undertake the collection of garden waste from the supplied 240L brown wheeled bin/s from the address specified on your application.
2. There are no restrictions on the number of subscriptions held at any one address.
3. Payment will be taken in advance of the year’s subscription. Prices are subject to a yearly increase, and you will receive a renewal invoice approximately one month before the expiry date.
4. We aim for the majority of garden waste to be collected via a dedicated collection vehicle, and taken to be turned into compost, although we cannot guarantee this. For example, if your property is serviced via a smaller collection vehicle, your garden waste may be collected at the same time as your refuse (general rubbish) and taken to the Energy from Waste Facility instead.
5. All bins supplied with this service will remain the property of the Council.
6. Collections will be made fortnightly as per your specified garden waste collection week and day, except for two weeks over the Christmas and New Year period. Collections following a bank holiday will usually be a day later than normal for the rest of the week. Please refer to the collection schedule.
7. Although every effort will be made for collections to take place on the scheduled day, we cannot guarantee this, due to factors out of our control. Examples include, roadworks, vehicle breakdowns, crew sickness, severe weather, high seasonal demand or parked cars preventing safe access. Check for delays. If the service is delayed, please continue to leave your bin out at its normal collection point.
8. We reserve the right to change your collection week and day at any time, changes will be notified to you in writing.
9. So we can empty your bin, please make sure that:

• The bin is put out and accessible by 6.30am on your collection day.
• The bin is clearly visible at the edge of your property, at the point nearest to the public highway (unless we have agreed otherwise).
• The bin lid is firmly closed.
• The bin is not too heavy, so it can be easily moved.
• Items are not lodged or stuck in the bin - contents must be able to fall out when the bin is lifted upside down.
• Your bin is labelled with your property number or name, to make identification easier.

10. Bins will only be emptied if they contain accepted items – please refer to the information on what can and can’t go into the garden waste (brown) bin. If a bin contains unacceptable items, it will not be emptied.
11. Our collection teams record when bins are not out and when they contain unacceptable items. We are unable to return for bins not presented for collection at the correct time or contain items they shouldn’t.
12. Missed collections must be reported to us within 2 working days of it being missed. Report a missed collection. Following a report of a missed collection, we aim to make a return within 5 working days. Please continue to leave your bin out at its normal collection point.
13. Please take the bin back inside your property’s boundary by 7.00pm on your collection day (unless the collection has been delayed or we have specified otherwise).
14. Only accepted garden waste contained within the issued bin will be taken. For example, we will not take any additional waste left beside the bin. An exception is made for real Christmas trees (with all decorations removed) that are under 7ft tall and have a trunk less than 7cm, which may be left beside the bin during the month of January only.
15. If you move within the Babergh or Mid Suffolk district, you must notify us of your new address so that future collections can be arranged. Please take your garden waste bin with you.
16. If you move out of the Babergh and Mid Suffolk district, you must notify us so we can cancel your subscription. Please leave your garden waste bin at the address, so we can retrieve it.
17. If you decide you no longer wish to subscribe to the service, you must notify us so we can retrieve the bin.
18. No refunds will be given for cancelled subscriptions.

What we do with your information

If you would like to know how our Waste Services team use any personal information you provide us, please read our privacy notice.