Garden Waste Collection Charges 2018

Whilst our recycling performance is good, the service we provide is not in line with Welsh Government’s Blueprint for waste collections in Wales.

Given the current period of austerity and the ongoing financial challenges being faced by the Council, we have decided to introduce a charge for this service similar to that already introduced by a number of Councils across England and Wales.

The Controlled Waste (England & Wales) Regulations 2012 set out the powers that Local Authorities have to charge for the collection and disposal of certain wastes.  Paragraph 4 of Schedule 1 of these regulations sets out that a Council may charge for the collection (but not the disposal) of household garden waste. 

The Controlled Waste Regulations 1992, superseded by the new 2012 regulations, also set out that Councils may charge for garden waste collections.  In addition to this, the Environmental Protection Act 1990 sets out in Section 45 paragraph 3 that Councils “may recover a reasonable charge” for collection of household waste where regulations such as the Controlled Waste (England & Wales) Regulations exist.  

No.  We do not have a statutory duty to collect garden waste.  Councils are not obliged to provide householders a free collection of their garden waste although they do have a duty to dispose of household waste free of charge.  The law gives Councils the discretion to make a reasonable charge for the collection of household garden waste in the same way that charges can be made for bulky waste collection. 

Additionally, not all properties in Flintshire require a garden waste collections service because some properties do not have a garden.  For this reason it is also felt that introducing a charge is fair as the service will only be paid for by those households that choose to use it.

The cost of the service is £30 per bin per year.  The service runs from 1st March to 30th November.  You can sign up for the service any time during the year, at present you will still be charged £30 until the end of November – there are no discounts. There will be a renewal process to continue getting your garden waste collections for subsequent years.

You can register and pay for the new service now.  The quickest and easiest way is to register and pay online,  you can also do this by calling 01352 701234 or visit one of our Connect Centre's.  

Garden waste collections start on 1st March 2018 and for this year only all residents will receive collections in March to dispose of any garden waste gathered over the winter.  Charges for the service will start on the 1st April 2018 and only households that have subscribed will have their brown bin(s) emptied after this date.

It is recommended to register for the scheme well in advance of the 1st April.  Please note - it can take up to 10 working days for us to register the requests and post out the documents to you. 

We collect garden waste every two weeks between 1st March to 30th November, on the same day that we collect your recycling and food waste.  Please note, the garden waste service is a seasonal service and collections will not be provided in December, January and February.

You can take your garden waste to one of our Household Recycling Centres at Buckley, Mold, Greenfield, Sandycroft, Flint and Connah’s Quay.  Alternatively, you could compost at home.  Details of how to do this are on the Council’s website. 

Garden waste should not be placed in your black bin for disposal, this is for non recyclable waste only.  We no longer accept side waste and if this is presented residents may be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice. 

No.  If you join part through the year or only need a collection a few times a year the charge will still remain at £30 per bin, there are no discounts. 

No.  We can only take the charge in one payment.  Payments can be made online, you can also do this by calling 01352 701234 or visit one of our Connect Centre's.  

Yes, more than one brown bin per household can be purchased up to a maximum of 3 bins.  You will be charged a £30 subscription per bin / per year.  The cost of additional bins is £30 per bin. 

People who have paid for the service will receive a unique barcoded adhesive label to stick on the bin lid so our crews can quickly identify if the service has been paid for.  The Barcode is a reference for the property.  Your Address must be written clearly on the label. 

Yes, you can agree this with your neighbour, as long as it is put out for collection outside the property of the householder who has subscribed to this service. 

If you choose not to subscribe to this service your brown bin(s) will not be emptied after 1st April.   Any unwanted Brown bins can be removed on request to Streetscene, or by calling 01352 701234.  Removal of bins will not take place until June 2018. 

If you subsequently change your mind, and decide after your brown bin has been removed, you will incur a charge for the replacement of the bin at £30. 

Yes.  You'll need to renew your payment every year and you'll be able to do this through our website each year in January by visiting www.flintshire.gov.uk/gardenwaste

Initially your collection day will remain the same and you should present your brown bin for collection as you do now.  Your bin must be placed out for collection by 7am.

Please affix the identification sticker on the lid of the brown bin.  This allows the collection crew to make a quick check and ensure the stickers aren't damaged by the lifting equipment. 

The collection crews will not collect any garden waste bins without a sticker displayed. 

If you move house during the period of your subscription you can transfer this subscription to your new address if this is in Flintshire.  Please contact us to tell us that you have moved house so that we can update our records.

Refunds cannot be provided if you move out of the County of Flintshire or if the service is not offered to your new property.  Furthermore a refund is not available if you move to a new property and require fewer bins than you have subscribed for at your previous address.

You have the right to cancel your subscription and obtain a full refund within 14 days of the day of purchase.  There will be no refunds after the 14 day cooling off period has expired. 

No.  Genuine missed collections are rare.  If your bin hasn't been emptied it may be because it contains the wrong items or it's too heavy.  All bins should be out for collection by 7.00am on your collection day. 

We reserve the right to cancel collections due to circumstances beyond our control e.g. severe weather.  If your missed collection is our fault then we will always make an effort to collect your bin as soon as possible.

Missed collections can be reported by completing our online form. 

We can accept grass cuttings, hedge clippings, twigs and small branches, weeds, plants, dead flowers, leaves and bark.  We cannot take any food waste, soil, stone, ash, pet bedding, animals faeces, card, or general waste.  Check out our dedicated webpage for more information.  www.flintshire.gov.uk/whattoputinyourbin 

There are currently no concessions although this will be reviewed for future years. 

Please check with your neighbours to make sure they have not taken the brown bin by mistake.  If not then report it to us as soon as possible so we can investigate.

We encourage you to mark your brown bin with your house number or address to make your bin clearly identifiable.

It is the responsibility of the householder to ensure their brown bin/s are safely stored.  In the event of a missing bin there will be a charge of £30 for a replacement (cost of the bin) 

It is your responsibility to take care of the sticker on the bin lid and ensure your address remains clearly visible.  However if it is damaged/missing, please call Streetscene on and an officer will check your details on our system and if necessary make a site visit.

We hope that residents will understand the financial pressure we face and the reasons for introducing this new scheme.  It's hoped that the new subscription service, the use of the Household Recycling Centers  (free of charge) and home composting  will provide sufficient alternatives for those who wish to recycle.

There's no evidence to suggest that we'll see any increase in fly-tipping.  We have spoken to other councils that have introduced similar schemes and they have told us that they have not seen an increase in fly tipping following the introduction of charges. 

However, we will monitor this closely and any reports of fly-tipping will be passed to our Environmental Enforcement Team for investigation.

If the garden waste materials are placed into your brown wheeled bin, then you would still need to subscribe to the kerbside collection service.  Alternatively, you can ask your gardener or the person who carries out the work for you to take the garden waste away and dispose of it responsibly – they may charge you to do so.  If you pay your gardener they cannot take the waste to one of our household recycling centers as the waste will be classed as trade waste when they remove it from your property.

Remember, householders are required by law to check that anyone removing waste from their property is authorised to do so under “Duty of Care”.  Householders who do not take reasonable measures to check that operators are legitimate waste carriers could be liable to a fine.

Please call our contact centre to discuss your options 01352 701234.

No.  Garden waste must be placed in your brown bin for collection or taken to Household Recycling Centres or home composted. 

Your black bin is strictly for non-recyclable waste.