Garden waste collection

The decision to charge £50 a year for the collection of domestic garden waste was agreed at the Council's meeting on Thursday 14 December 2023 and implemented on 7 July 2024.

The collection of garden waste is a non-statutory service, and with reducing budgets and increasing costs, the Council can no longer operate this type of collection as a free service.

Until 7 July 2024, East Dunbartonshire has chosen to offer a free service, however, this has been subsidised from Council Tax paid by all households, including those who do not use it and do not have gardens.

To retain a garden waste collection service, it is necessary to introduce a charge to contribute towards the cost of its provision.

No, this service is non-statutory and therefore not a legal requirement for the Council to provide.

Yes. More than 50% of councils in Scotland are charging for this service and more are expected to introduce a charge within the next few years.

The garden waste permit charge is an annual seasonal charge and will cost £50 per green bin with each season running from March to November.

Any household that would like to participate in the garden waste collection service will require to pay one permit for each green bin.

There are no concessions for this service.

If you have Assisted Collection and a garden waste permit your green bin will continue to be collected as before.

You can apply for a garden waste collection permit online, by calling Customer Services or by appointment at our Hubs at Bishopbriggs, Kirkintilloch, Lennoxtown and Milngavie Enterprise Centre.

It can take up to 14 days for a permit to be processed and the bin sticker to be issued to your address. Your bin will not be lifted until the permit is attached.

A permit covers the entire annual season of green bin collections from March to November. Check your online waste calendar for dates.

There is a flat rate of £50 per year for the permit, regardless of when it is applied for. In 2024 a pro-rata charge will be applied.

Residents who currently share a bin for their garden waste in flats can continue to do this. Please note, the application and payment for a permit must be made by one resident and the Council won’t become involved in any neighbour dispute over payment to another neighbour.

The permit is registered to an address and not a person so should remain with the property. If you move to a property that has a garden waste permit, you can carry on using the green bin until the permit expires.

This permit sticker will display the address and reference number for the registered property as well as the expiry date. Operatives will look for this on your bin.

Garden waste can be disposed of at our Mavis Valley Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC). You can book a visit to Mavis below.

Book a visit to Mavis Valley Recycling Centre

Alternatively, composting is a great way to put garden waste to good use and can be used to enrichen the soil in your garden.

Councils who have already introduced this charge have found no evidence to suggest that fly tipping of garden waste has increased as a result. The disposal of garden waste is the householder's responsibility and residents can continue to dispose of this free of charge at Mavis Valley Recycling Centre.

Only green bins with valid permits attached will be emptied.

You can report a missed bin using our online form or by calling Customer Services on 0300 123 4510.

Please contact us by calling Customer Service on 0300 123 4510.

No, the frequency will remain the same e.g. fortnightly for those with a permit.

Contaminated bins will be left, and residents will have to remove contamination before the bin is emptied in line with the current policy.

Yes.

You can cancel mid-season but there would be no refund.

You will receive 19 collections on a fortnightly cycle.

If you share a green garden bin with a neighbour, you can share the cost of a permit. You'll need to arrange this between yourselves, with just one of you applying for the permit.

The service is available to customers with domestic properties or places of worship. The service is not available to other persons, companies, or commercial businesses.

• Flowers
• Plants
• Grass cuttings
• Shrub/Hedge clippings
• Leaves
• Weeds (not invasive plants like Japanese Knotweed)
• Twigs/Branches
• Straw or animal bedding

No, the charge is discretionary. It will be your own decision if you wish to purchase a permit to have your garden bin emptied.