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?

An annual garden waste subscription year runs from April 1 to March 31 in any given year. You can sign up at any time during the subscription year.

Please note that if you sign up in January, you will only receive weekly collections for 3 months before you need to renew your subscription.

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 4 manageable payments using Direct Debit.
• You can only set up a Direct Debit between particular dates.
• 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 1 easy payment.
• If you are an existing pay-now customer, you can renew your subscription on our website.

Regardless of the month you join, the service will run from March 31 to April 1.

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 without a sticker, 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 April 1.
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 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)