Garden Waste Collection Service

Q. What is the background to charging for garden waste?

A. The garden waste service that Harborough District Council provides is a non-statutory service. Unlike household waste and recycling, this service is discretionary which means, Councils are not required by law to collect garden waste. Not everyone uses the service, residents may choose to subscribe to the service but can also use other methods to dispose of garden waste such as home-composting or taking it to the Household Waste and Recycling Sites (tips) which are run by Leicestershire County Council.

Q. Why is there a £61 service charge?

A. As the service is no longer subsidised by Harborough District Council and the taxpayer, there is a charge of £61 for the service each year. This will help recover costs associated with the service and allow its continuation year-on-year. However; this equates to just an extra 71 pence per collection, bringing the total to £2.62 per collection. For this price a HGV and crew will collect at residents properties and dispose of the waste.

Q. Why will I not be sent a sticker?

A. All of our crews have an in-cab system which displays details of collections at properties and also allows them to report any issues when they are there. This system will display which properties have paid for the service and how many bins have been paid for. This will have a positive environmental impact as it will remove the need for thousands of stickers and letters being produced.

Q. What if I live on a shared driveway and present my bins communally?

A. Please ensure you have your property number on the bin(s), this will ensure that your bin is emptied correctly. Numbers for bins can be purchased from shops or online cheaply.

Q. Where can I find the terms and conditions?

A. Information on the service, including the terms and conditions, is available on the Harborough District Council website.

Q. Will I receive a letter from the council to confirm payment?

A. All subscriptions will be confirmed by an e-mail only.  Did you know it is easy and quicker to subscribe online at our website. This will reduce cost on administering the service and reduce the environmental impact.

Q. Is there a way of making automatic payments each year?

A. To help customers with annual subscriptions we are introducing a re-occurring card payment option.  This will allow you to sign up and continue to pay each year using your bank card – making the whole process quick and easy for you to use.

Q. Due to the charge, will there be a rise in fly-tipping?

A. When we began charging for the service Harborough District Council did not see a significant increase in fly-tipping. Furthermore, as an authority we have recorded a reduction in fly-tipping over the last couple of years. Our environmental crime officers are out in the district completing daily patrols, looking for offences and evidence, putting up signage and operating covert cameras to deter any incidences of fly-tipping from occurring and to catch any offenders.

Q. Will there still be an extra collection for garden waste collection subscribers in January so I can recycle my real Christmas tree?

A. Yes, this will take place each January; the dates will be publicised on the Council website and social media nearer the time. Check out our website where you can find information about your bin collection days and much more…

Q. Why do we take recurring payments on 1st February?

A. Processing recurring payments on 1st February allows our team to address any queries or issues that may arise prior to the new subscription year starting. This ensures that residents continue to receive a reliable and continuous garden waste collection service from 1st April of each year. Recurring payment is an optional feature and therefore you can choose to opt out of recurring payments at any time.