If you are a current subscriber to the 2021/22 service and have an active Direct Debit, you do not need to sign up again for the 2022/23 service. We will be contacting you to see if you want to make any changes to your subscription as part of the renewal process and to provide advanced notice of the date that payment will be taken for the 2022/23 subscription period.

Payment for the 2022/23 subscription period shall be a single payment for the full subscription charge in respect of the forthcoming service period.

Payment can be made by debit or credit card instead of Direct Debit this year. If you wish to change payment method, please cancel your Direct Debit with your bank. You will then need to subscribe online.

You will need to complete our online subscription form. If paying by Direct Debit you'll need the details of your bank, or building society, account number and sort code.

You will receive an email acknowledgement once you have successfully subscribed, and two further emails to confirm the details of your Direct Debit mandate and advance notice of the date that payment will be taken.

To make sure your subscription is processed in time for the start of the 2022/23 service period, please sign up by 7 August 2022. Subscription stickers will usually be delivered within 14 days of your subscription being processed, however, as long as you have successfully subscribed before 25 August 2022 you can place your green bin(s) out for collection, even without the sticker(s) displayed for your first collection only.

You can subscribe at any time until 30 June 2023 for the 2022/23 subscription period. Regardless of when you subscribe, the charges remain fixed as detailed above.

Who is this service for?

This service is only for residential properties, places of worship and village halls that dispose of household waste.

If you live in a communal property where you attend to our own gardens/communal gardens. Please contact us and a Waste Officer will get in touch with you to discuss your needs.

This service does not cover:

Premises which are occupied by a club, society or any associations of persons in which activities are conducted for the benefit of the members (eg sports pavilions and social clubs)
Village halls, other halls or residential properties that are managed by a commercial landscaper or gardener.

Occupants of such premises should seek a commercial waste service for the disposal of such garden waste.

What is the cancellation policy?

You have the right to cancel your subscription within 21 days without giving any reason.

The cancellation period will expire after 21 days from the day you subscribe. If you cancel within 21 days from subscription, we will make a full refund. This does not affect your statutory rights or the Direct Debit guarantee.

If you cancel your subscription, your green bin will not be emptied if it contains garden waste.

No refund will be given if you decide to stop using the service, in whole or in part, for any reason outside of the 21-day cancellation period, or outside of the terms of the Direct Debit guarantee.

For full information, please refer to the Terms and Conditions [147KB] and Cancellation Policy.

How do I subscribe if I don't have internet access at home or an email address?

If you do not have your own internet access, a smartphone, or friends or family members who can help you with this, you can complete the subscription process by:

calling our payment line on 01635 503828
or visiting our Market Street office in Newbury

A member of the team will be able to set up a Direct Debit for you and provide further assistance where possible.

Please note: our phone lines are very busy at this time and we would prefer to prioritise helping vulnerable residents. Residents are kindly requested to only call if they cannot find the information they require online.

If I move house, will you refund the fee?

There are no refunds outside of the cancellation period.

If you move house within the West Berkshire district, please Tell Us You've Changed Your Address and we will usually be able to transfer your subscription to your new address and send you a new sticker. Do not take your green bin to your new property.

When you leave your old address, please remove the subscription sticker(s) from your green bin(s) and dispose of it, leaving all bins at your old property. All bins remain the property of West Berkshire Council.

How will you know who has paid?

Once we have received your subscription (or your Direct Debit renewal has been processed), we will send you a subscription sticker for your green bin. Please ensure the sticker is clearly visible on the back of the bin (handle side), as this will identify that you have paid for the service.

Your property details will also be added to a database, used by our contractor, that informs collection crews which households have subscribed to the service.

The sticker colour will be white for 2022/23 subscription.

How will you use my personal information?

We will collect personal information for the purpose of processing your application, providing the Service and where applicable for collecting payments. Your property details will be added to a database used by our waste contractor and relevant Council's officers in order to provide the Service to those residents who are subscribed to the Service. This information will be held in a secure manner. We will not use your information for any other purpose without your permission and we will not hold the information for longer than we need to.

We will treat any personal information by which you can be identified (e.g. name, address, email) in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.

You can review our Privacy Notice here.

Payment and Direct Debit queries

How do I set up a Direct Debit?

There are 3 simple steps to setting up a Direct Debit.

Step 1

Subscribe here to tell us your subscription requirements and complete the online Direct Debit mandate.

When completing the mandate you will need to:

Check your name and address details are correct
Provide us with:
- your account number and sort code
- The name(s) on the account

Step 2

We will send you advance notice of the amount to be taken and when we will collect payment. Please check these details are correct and contact us at gardenwaste@westberks.gov.uk straight away if you need to query anything.

Step 3

Relax. Apart from making sure you have enough money in your account when the payment is due, there is nothing more for you to do.

All payments made by Direct Debit are protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee. Lots more information about Direct Debits can be found on the Direct Debit website.

I already have an active Direct Debit for this service, what do I need to do?

If you are a current subscriber and have an active Direct Debit for this service, you do not have to complete the subscription process again for the 2022/23 service.

Unless you cancel your Direct Debit, your renewal will be processed automatically (following notification of the amount and payment date) and in time for the start of the subscription period. If you cancelled your direct debit mandate please see 'How do I sign up for a garden waste collection'.

Your new subscription sticker(s) for your green bin(s) will be sent to you automatically as part of this process.

I previously paid by Direct Debit but cancelled my mandate, can I renew?

If you paid for the 2021/22 service by Direct Debit but you cancelled your Direct Debit, you will need to complete the registration process again for the 2022/23 service.

How much does the 2022/23 service cost and why has this increased?

The subscription period runs from 29 August 2022 to 27 August 2023.

The subscription charges for the 2022/23 collection service are:

Subscription Type

Subscription Charge

(per bin)

Service charge for 1st green bin

(existing subscription renewals and first-time subscribers)

£52

Service charge for renewal of each current 2^nd to 5^th additional bins

(This is for existing subscription renewals only where the one-off set-up payment has already been made in a previous subscription year)

£40

Charge for each new additional 2^nd to 5^th bin

(please note you can have a total of 5 green bins per household)

£67

made up as follows:
£40 for the service charge and £27 for the one-off set-up payment

Payment for the 2022/23 service is by Direct Debit or credit/debit card, which shall be a single payment for the full subscription charge in respect of the forthcoming service period.

The Council has kept the subscription fee unchanged at £50 since the chargeable garden waste collections service was introduced in September 2018. This year will be the first time in five years that the fees are changing and we are introducing a small increase to reflect the fact that the cost of delivering the service has gone up. The new rate compares favourably with the charges applied by many councils for providing similar garden waste collection services to their residents.

Please note that in the 2021/22 season, a one-off reduction of £4 per bin was applied by the Council as a goodwill gesture for the temporary service suspensions that occurred during the preceding service period.

Can I pay by instalments?

Payment for the service is made in advance and the charge in full is payable regardless of when you apply and pay for the service; no part payments are accepted.

Will there be help for residents who receive benefits?

No, we do not offer concessions for this service.

Don't I already pay for my garden waste collection in my council tax?

Council tax contributes towards the costs of running Council services but changes to Government funding means that we cannot afford to offer this service without making a separate charge. You can find out more about how the Council is funded and where the money is spent on our council spending webpage.

Council tax is a tax which is payable towards all services provided by West Berkshire Council, the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Police and Crime Commissioner, whether you use the services or not. As such, you are not entitled to a refund if you do not sign up to the garden waste collection service.

Do I have to subscribe or renew my subscription for garden waste collections?

This is an opt-in, paid-for-service. You do not have to subscribe to this service if you do not want your garden waste collected. From 29 August 2022 if you have not subscribed or renewed, your green bin will not be emptied if it contains garden waste.

You can still recycle your garden waste for free by composting it at home, or by taking it to one of our our recycling centres at Padworth Lane or Newtown Road, Newbury.

There isn't enough space to type in the full account holders name into the Direct Debit mandate, what do I do?

Don't worry if you can't type the full names of all account holders into the direct debit mandate. We only need one account holder name - this can include just the initial for the first name, but must include the whole surname.

I am not the only person who can authorise Direct Debits on my account, can I submit a Direct Debit mandate by myself?

If you have a joint account in the UK usually either account holder can set up a direct debit mandate on the account.

There are some types of joint accounts where both signatures are required though, so if you are not sure please check with your bank.

I am having technical issues paying by card?

Make sure you are using an up to date web browser, such as Google Chrome, Safari and Microsoft Edge.

I was made to pay by Direct Debit last year, why has this changed?

Direct Debits remain our preferred option because it is convenient for customers; once set up, customers do not have to keep submitting a new application each year and this reduces the administrative demands on the Council to process new applications. The Council actively supported the use of Direct Debits to pay for garden waste subscriptions during the past season. Alternative payment options such as debit and credit card payments were not widely available to customers. This was partly because the Council was in the process of switching to a new card payment option. The new card payment option will be available for the 2022/23 subscription period.

Why is my payment being taken at the start of August when the renewal date is 29 August?

Direct Debit payments will be taken at the start for August for the 2022/2023 subscription year to allow enough time to send out the new subscription stickers and any additional garden waste bins ahead of the new subscription year which starts on 29 August 2022.

Collection queries

As a subscriber what can I put in my green bin?

We will only collect garden waste (of a type specified by the Council) that is contained in the green bin supplied by West Berkshire Council.

We will collect grass cuttings, prunings, small twigs and branches, hedge trimmings and leaves, plants and weeds, cut flowers and fallen fruit. You can currently put food waste in your green bin. Please be aware that from the commencement of the separate weekly food waste collections in Autumn 2022 food waste will not be accepted in the green garden waste bin.

All garden waste must be placed inside the green bin. You can increase the number of subscriptions you have at any time during the subscription period by completing our online subscription form, and selecting the relevant option when prompted.

You can find full details of what can go in your green bin on our Garden Waste Collection page.

Can I share a bin with my neighbour?

Yes you can, however, please note that any agreement made between neighbours to share green bins is a private arrangement. Please ensure the bin you share with your neighbour has the sticker clearly visible. It is up to neighbours to decide who will purchase the subscription which will only be linked to one property (the subscriber's property). The green bin will be collected from outside the subscriber's property.

As the subscriber, you will be responsible for compliance with the terms and conditions of the garden waste service, even if you share the green bin with your neighbours. This is because our agreement is with you.

I have already subscribed to the 2022/2023 service, how do I order an additional green bin?

If you wish to order additional green bins for the 2022/23 service that starts on 29 August 2022, please complete our online subscription form and select the relevant option when prompted.

This will require you to set up an additional Direct Debit or make another payment by card. At the end of the subscription period multiple Direct Debits will be consolidated into one for the forthcoming subscription period.

I don't currently have a green bin, can I still sign up for a garden waste collection?

Yes, you can subscribe here for a garden waste collection. Once you have signed up, we will deliver a green bin and subscription sticker to you.

I have signed up to the Garden Waste Service but my green bin has not been emptied?

The subscription period runs from 29 August 2022 to 27 August 2023.

If you have signed up to the service, you will need to make sure your subscription sticker is clearly visible on the back of the bin (handle side), however as long as you have successfully subscribed before the 25 August 2022 you can place your green bin(s) out for collection, even without the sticker(s) displayed for your first collection only.

Following your first collection, crews will not empty a green bin, containing garden waste, if a sticker is not visible.

If you have a subscription sticker on your bin and it has not been emptied, the collection crew should have left a notice explaining if there is an issue with your waste or green bin.

Some of the common issues include:

The bin is too heavy - although you may be able to move your bin, the bin lift on the back of the collection vehicle may not be able to lift it safely; please remove some material from the bin before your next collection.
The bin contains the wrong material - please make sure you only put the right materials in your green bin; please check what can go in your green bin and remove any incorrect materials before your next collection.

You can find more information regarding missed collections on our Missed Bin Collection webpage.

We retain the right to refuse to empty a bin if it contains the wrong types of materials, listed here. In order for the collection service to be resumed you will be required to remove the wrong types of materials from the bin(s) before your next scheduled collection date.

How will you stop residents who don't have garden waste collections putting their garden waste in my paid-for green bin?

We can't. We suggest keeping the green bin on your property where possible, in a location where it is not easy for others to put waste in your bin. Following collections you should move your bin back onto your property as soon as possible.

My green bin has gone missing or is damaged, will I have to pay to get another one?

No, there is currently no charge for replacement bins. You can order a replacement, here.

What about leaves or debris from my neighbour's overhanging trees?

When leaves, seeds or small twigs leave a tree naturally, they no longer have a legal owner. If these fall into your garden, they become your responsibility to remove.

Why are you not collecting garden waste over Christmas?

The garden waste service will operate for 50 weeks of the year. For a two-week duration over the Christmas and New Year period (i.e. from 26 December 2022 to 6 January 2023), garden waste will not be collected. Available data shows that only limited amounts of garden waste are generated by householders around that time of the year due to the cold weather. The extra vehicle and staff resources that would become available during the period when garden waste collections are not taking place will be used to support recycling and general refuse collections which usually see an increase in demand at that time of the year. Customers will be able to present reasonable amounts of excess garden waste (up to 3 open-topped bags) next to each garden waste bin with a subscription sticker during the first garden collection date when the service is resumed.

Sticker queries

When will I receive my 2022/23 sticker?

Subscription stickers will usually be delivered within 14 days of your subscription being processed, however, as long as you have successfully subscribed before 25 August 2022 you can place your green bin(s) out for collection, even without the sticker(s) displayed for your first collection only.

Do I need to remove my brown 2021/22 service bin sticker?

You don't need to keep your brown sticker on your bin after the 28 August 2022 (the end of the 2021/22 subscription period). Please try to remove your brown bin sticker before you place your new 2022/23 sticker on your bin after this date. If you cannot remove your old sticker, please place your new white subscription sticker above or below it.

I have recently subscribed to the garden waste service but haven't received my sticker?

Your subscription sticker(s) for your green bin(s) will usually be delivered within 14 days of your subscription being processed and stickers will be sent by second class post. If it has been more than 14 days since you subscribed to the service and you have not received your sticker(s), please let us know: gardenwaste@westberks.gov.uk.

Subscription stickers will usually be delivered within 14 days of your subscription being processed.