Brown garden waste bin

Wirral Council provides a garden waste collection service for domestic households. Garden waste from commercial premises is not collected as part of this service.

There is a charge for the garden waste collection service.

The subscription fee is:

£55 for the first bin
£31.50 for each additional bin

The 2024-2025 subscription period runs from 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025.

Subscribe to garden waste collections

Collections

Bins are collected every other week from addresses that subscribe to the service. There are no collections over the Christmas and New Year shutdown. This is between 23 December 2024 and 20 January 2025.

Check your brown bin collection dates and view the calendar

Items allowed in your brown bin

grass mowings
hedge cuttings
pruning
leaves
weeds
dead flowers
Christmas trees; real trees only, and please chop up to ensure it fits in your bin

Please ensure all of your garden waste fits inside your bin. Chop up hedge cuttings and pruning if necessary.

Download a printable list of what goes in which bin (PDF, 116KB)

Learn how to keep your wheelie bin clean

How to put your bin out

Please remember the following to make sure we are able to collect your bin:

put your bin out at the usual collection point by 7am on the scheduled day
don’t over fill your brown bin; the lid must be closed to stop garden waste spilling out
make sure your bin isn’t too heavy; it won’t be able to be emptied as the lifting equipment has a weight limit
don’t squash the waste down; it could get stuck in the bin or make the bin too heavy. Both will mean that your bin isn’t emptied.
if all your garden waste doesn’t fit in the bin, please store the excess until your next collection
don’t put bags of garden waste in or next to the bin. We can’t collect bagged garden waste as it can’t be reprocessed.
in cold weather, the contents of the bin can freeze to the bin. Give it a shake to loosen the contents before collection.

How else can I get rid of garden waste?

If you use a gardener or other service to maintain your garden, they should be a fully licensed waste carrier. They should take away the waste and dispose of it as commercial waste.

You can use garden waste to make compost at home. You can get reduced price compost bins from getcomposting.com. For composting advice visit the Recycling Now website.

You can also take garden waste to your local rubbish tip free of charge. Please check the following for updates on availability, restrictions and opening times:

check the Merseyside Regional Waste Authority website
@MerseysideRWA on Twitter
@GoRecycleRight on Twitter

How will the waste collectors know I have subscribed to the service?

Collection vehicles have an electronic record of residents who have subscribed. You will also receive a permit, which should be fixed to your bin as soon as you receive it. This will help the crews to see that your property is subscribed. It will prevent delays or missed collections.

Change of address

If you move house you will need to buy a new subscription for your new address. You will not need a new subscription if the new address already has one.

All subscriptions must remain with the property they are registered to. Subscriptions cannot be transferred to another address. No refund will be given for any time left on a permit.

If there is no bin at the property you are moving to you can take your bin with you.

If you pay by Direct Debit, you will need to cancel the Direct Debit before the next payment is taken. You will need to set it up again for your new address.

After you receive your permit, you will be able to put out your bin for collection on the next scheduled day.

Can I get a refund if I cancel my subscription?

If you paid by debit card or credit card

You can cancel and get a full refund within 10 working days of the day you subscribe. If you have received a collection within this period then you cannot get a refund.

If you paid by Direct Debit

You have a 10 working day cooling off period before the first payment is taken. You can cancel during this cooling off period. No payment will be taken and you will not be subscribed to the service. Once payment has been taken, you cannot get a refund.

Refunds will not be given if you move out of the area.

Request a refund