Garden waste

Garden waste collections

Our annual garden waste collection provides convenient and eco-friendly waste disposal, saving time and effort, while supporting a cleaner environment and contributing to local sustainability initiatives.

When can I sign up for the garden waste collection service?

Garden waste subscriptions open on 3 April 2025 and run until 31 March 2026. You can sign up at any time during the subscription year. If you start your subscription later in the year, you'll pay the same price as for a full year.

When you pay for a subscription, you agree to the Garden Waste Collection Service terms and conditions. Please read the Garden Waste terms and conditions carefully.

How to pay

You can pay for an annual garden waste collection service by Direct Debit, or in one lump sum.

There are differences in the renewal process dependent on how you choose to pay;

Direct Debit

• You can pay for your garden waste collection subscription in four manageable payments using Direct Debit (£25.52, followed by three payments of £23.50).
• You can only set up a Direct Debit between 3 April and 24 May.
• If you are an existing Direct Debit customer, your subscription will auto-renew and you do not need to do anything.

For 2025/26 subscriptions, we will update Direct Debit users before renewals take place.

Pay-now 

• You can pay for your garden waste collection subscription annually in one payment of £96.02.
• If you are an existing pay-now customer, you can renew your subscription on our website after 3 April 2025.

If you need assistance with your renewal, contact us on 020 8314 9756.

When you sign up for a garden waste subscription, you will receive:

240L bin

• New customers will receive a 240-litre brown bin within 10 working days

Permit sticker 

• New customers and existing customers will be issued a garden waste permit sticker which lets collection crews know that you have a current subscription – this must be affixed to your garden waste bin.
• You will receive full instructions on how to fix the permit sticker to your garden waste bin
  
• If you have a garden waste bin and a valid sticker permit is not displayed, we will remove it.
  

If you are not displaying a sticker because you did not receive one, please email us as soon as you can.

What can go in my garden waste bin?

• We collect garden waste like grass cuttings, weeds, small branches, and twigs. 
• Branches must be up to 10cm thick and 50cm long.
• Fallen fruit, flowers, hedge trimmings, leaves, plants, and weeds are accepted but harmful ones like Japanese knotweed are not.

Find out what you cannot put in your garden waste bin.

To ensure we can collect your garden waste:

• put your bin out by 6am on your collection day
• make sure the bin is at the edge of your property, free of obstacles
• don't overfill your bin. If you have extra waste, keep it until the next collection
• bins must not weigh over 20kg
• bins should be in good condition (wheels and lid should work). Order a replacement bin if needed

For any issues with your bin please email gardenwaste@lewisham.gov.uk.

Points to consider

1. If you don't pay for the service: Not paying for the garden waste service can lead to a fine of up to £300.
2. Renewing your subscription: You can renew your subscription from 1 April.
3. Cancelling your subscription: If you cancel within 14 days, you can get a refund. After that, the fee is non-refundable. To cancel, contact us at 020 8314 9756 (9am-4pm, Monday to Friday) or email gardenwaste@lewisham.gov.uk.
   
   If you are on Direct Debit and do not wish to renew your subscription, please speak to your bank to cancel your direct debit as soon as possible. The first Direct Debit payment is scheduled to be collected on 31 May 2025.

If you don’t want to subscribe to a garden waste collection, you can:

• take it to the Landmann Way Reuse and Recycling Centre
• compost it yourself at home
• hire a private contractor (make sure they are licensed)