Garden waste collection service changes

What is happening?

From Tuesday 1 April 2025, if you need your garden waste to be collected you will need to pay an annual £40 subscription fee. The charge for garden waste brings Stockton-on-Tees in line with the other Tees Valley Councils and the majority of councils across the county. 

• when you sign up you will be given a new 240-litre brown wheelie bin for your garden waste - this will replace garden waste bags
• the bin will be collected fortnightly during the collection period (which has increased to 36 weeks)
• you will be able to buy additional bins for £25 per bin per year
• if you need a replacement bin there will be a charge of £25

If you don't sign up to our new service, you can either home compost your garden waste or take it for free to Haverton Hill Household Waste Recycling Centre. You must book a time slot to visit Haverton Hill. You can book a slot for Haverton Hill household recycling centre online.

How to sign up to our new garden waste collection service

An online payment system where you can sign up quickly and easily will launch on Monday 6 January 2025. Please regularly check this webpage and our social media channels for updates, including the link to to sign up.

In the meantime, if you haven't already, why not create a 'My Council' account to request a service online or to track progress of existing requests. By signing up to your 'My Council' account, you can also request to subscribe to the Council's monthly newsletter, keeping you up-to-date with the latest news. 

Login to My Council or create an account

What can I put in my garden waste bin (new brown bin)?

Yes please:

• grass cuttings
• leaves
• weeds
• hedge trimmings
• small branches
• plants

No thanks:

• soil and rubble
• turf
• large branches
• cardboard
• wood
• liquids

• food packaging

How much does the service cost?

The cost will be £40 per annum to households with the first bin free. Households with larger gardens will also be able to buy additional bins for a charge of £25 per bin.

When does the service start? 

The first collections will begin on Tuesday 1 April 2025. 

Can I pay the subscription monthly?

Unfortunately, the council is unable to offer payment by instalments. To minimise the cost of the scheme and keep subscription fees to a minimum, the subscription must be made as a one-off payment.

How big is the garden waste bin? 

You will be supplied with a 240-litre brown bin for your garden waste. If you need more capacity, you can purchase additional bins for £25 per bin per year. 

Can I have more than one garden waste bin?

Yes, you can have as many garden waste subscriptions as you like. The cost for an additional bin is £25 per additional bin per year. 

How will you know I have subscribed to the service?

We will have an electronic record of which residents have subscribed, which will inform the garden waste collection crews of which household are subscribed to the service. 

If I don't sign up, how can I dispose of any garden waste?

We encourage you to either home compost your garden waste or take it for free to Haverton Hill Household Waste Recycling Centre. You must book a time slot to visit Haverton Hill Household Waste Recycling Centre. Book a slot for Haverton Hill household recycling centre. 

Do you expect to see more fly-tipping of garden waste?

There's no evidence to suggest that we'll see any increase in fly-tipping. We have spoken to other councils that have similar schemes and they've seen no increase. We'll monitor this issue closely and any reports of fly-tipping will be investigated.

Can I pay online on behalf of other people?

Yes, payment for the garden waste service can be made online on behalf of a relative or friend. You'll need the name of the resident and their address where the garden waste is to be collected.

Can I put out garden waste in other containers for you to collect?

No. You can only use the brown bins supplied by the council for garden waste collections. We will not empty any other type of container or take loose garden waste.

I have left over clear bags or green hessian bags I only purchased last year; can I use these?

No, we will only collect garden waste in the brown wheeled bins provided to residents when they sign up to the service. 

What happens to the garden waste that is collected? 

Your garden waste is composted locally.

Can I have an assisted collection for the garden waste collection service? 

If you sign up to the new service and you already have an assisted collection, where the bin is pulled out and returned for you, this will continue.

If you don't currently have an assisted collection and you have difficulties presenting your bins, please let us know.  

I live on the hard-to-reach round, can I subscribe to this service?

If you live on a property on the hard-to-reach round unfortunately you are unable to sign up to the garden waste service at present. 

I haven't got space to store a bin, what am I expected to do?

We would encourage you to either home compost your garden waste or take it for free to Haverton Hill Household Waste Recycling Centre. You must book a time slot to visit Haverton Hill Household Waste Recycling Centre. Book a slot for Haverton Hill household recycling centre. 

Can I purchase a brown bin elsewhere rather than buy one from the council?

No, when you subscribe to the service you are paying for the collection of your garden waste not for the bin.