Shropshire Council is facing unprecedented financial pressure and must make £62m of savings in 2024/25 to keep a balanced budget.  This has resulted in some difficult decisions having been made.  The collection of garden waste is not a service that Shropshire Council must provide by law, but one that will continue to be provided as an opt-in service to those who need/want it.  80% of English councils already charge for this service, and many have been doing so for several years. 

From 1 October 2024 you'll need to subscribe to Shropshire Council's garden waste collection service if you wish for them to continue emptying your garden bin.  

The annual subscription fee is £56 and covers the period 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025.  A payment window has opened until 31 March 2025. The charge is £56 regardless of when you sign up.  The charge is in line with the fee charged by our neighbouring councils.

Once you've signed up and paid, your garden waste bin will be emptied as usual on your scheduled collection day. However, if you sign-up after 1 October 2024, there is a chance that your collection day could change.  The later you leave it to subscribe the higher the chance that your collection day will change.   To find your current collection day click here

If you don’t subscribe, they won’t empty your garden bin after 1 October 2024.  Please do not put garden waste in your general waste bin.  Up to 100% of the waste in your general waste bin is taken to the Battlefield Energy Recovery Facility which cannot accept garden waste. If the waste collection contractor (Veolia) finds any non-garden waste items in a garden bin they won't empty the bin. It will be deemed contaminated. You must remove all non-garden waste materials before the next scheduled collection. 

How to subscribe

Click here to go to Shropshire Council's website where there is a step-by-step guide to subscribing including detailed instructions on how to apply for a second bin.

Alternatively you can telephone 0345 520 7007 to make payment.

After subscribing

Once you have subscribed and paid, you will be sent a letter with a special sticker for you to attach to the back of your green bin (handle side) so that it can easily be seen by the collection crew.  The stickers are designed to fray and tear when removed from the bins to prevent them being reused by other residents.  Your sticker will have your address and unique reference number on it, which allows the waste teams to check that the bin is at the right location.

Food waste collections

Even if you pay for your green bin, you cannot put food waste in it from 1 October 2024.  Instead this should either be placed in your general waste bin or home composted.

As Shropshire Council cannot charge for food waste collections these will be suspended from 1 October 2024 whilst they develop and introduce a new weekly service from April 2026.   All councils in England must introduce weekly food waste collections to all properties from this date.

FAQs

What will happen to my green bin if I don't subscribe?

Shropshire Council are not planning to remove bins during the first 12 months of operation. This is because people may change their minds and want to subscribe at a later date. Removing bins and delivering them would be a waste of resources. If a resident insisted that they didn’t want their bin anymore they could take it to their nearest recycling centre where it can be reused. If they were unable to take the bin to a recycling centre, they would have to wait for the planned removal programme in 2025-26.

Can I pay a subscription on someone else's behalf?

Yes.  You can buy a subscription for someone else’s address within the Shropshire Council area, such as a family member. You can do this even if you live outside the area, but the sticker will have a unique reference to that property. You can also choose a different billing address.

Could I share a bin with a neighbour?

Yes.  The subscription fee would apply per bin, so if you think one garden bin could meet the needs of you and your neighbour - or a group of neighbours - and you wished to share, one of you would need to be the named subscriber and pay the fee.

Where should I put my garden waste if I don't subscribe?

You may wish to consider home composting.  You can find lots of information and advice about home composting by clicking here.  Alternatively you can take your garden waste to your nearest recycling centre.

Are there any discounts or exemptions?

No, although the length of the payment window does give up to eight months for residents to save and budget.

How many bins could I have?

You could have up to three bins but would pay a separate subscription fee for each bin, being a maximum of £168 per annum. 

Can I request a replacement sticker?

If you've subscribed but haven't received your welcome pack within ten working days, you can request a replacement sticker online.

What can I put in my garden bin if I subscribe?

You can put the following garden waste in your garden bin: 

• Grass cuttings, lawn edgings and weeds 
• Bark 
• Twigs and small branches 
• Plants 
• Leaves 
• Hedge clippings 
• Cut flowers 
• Windfalls from fruit trees 
• Hay, straw and wood shavings 

You must not put non-garden waste in your garden bin, for example: 

• No food waste
• Liquid cooking fat, oil, wax or waxed packaging (milk or juice cartons), foil 
• Coffee filters 
• Soil, stone, rubble or large amounts of turf 
• Any type of animal waste 
• Paper, plastic, glass, metals, leather, plant pots/containers, porcelain, plaster, disposable nappies, ash, vacuum cleaner contents, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, batteries, dyestuffs, textiles, feathers household or garden chemicals

This isn't an exhaustive list. You can see where to dispose of waste on Shropshire Council's 'Your collection service' page. 

What happens to my subscription if I move house?

If you move within the Shropshire Council area and the property is eligible for the garden waste recycling scheme, you can transfer your subscription to your new address. Do not take your garden bin with you to your new property. 

You'll need to ask for a new subscription sticker for your new address in the Shropshire Council area. Refunds can't be provided if you move out of the council area, or if the service isn't offered at your new property. A refund isn't available if you move to a new property and require fewer bins than you've subscribed for at your previous address. 

If there isn't a garden bin at your new address, you'll need to pay for the delivery of a new one.

Will this lead to an increase in fly-tipping?

Shropshire Council remains committed to protecting and enhancing Shropshire’s environment. This includes continuing to encourage people to think about the impact of their actions on the environment and to ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ their waste. 

There's no evidence to suggest that we'll see any increase in fly-tipping as a result of the introduction of a subscription service. Shropshire Council has spoken to other councils that have introduced similar schemes and they haven't seen an increase. Importantly, fly-tipping is a crime, and anyone caught doing it could be prosecuted and face a large fine.  

Why can't the charge be added to the council tax?

Shropshire Council must provide certain statutory services, and council tax helps to provide these services, but garden waste is a discretionary service, and Shropshire Council can no longer afford to provide the service free of charge. 

Since not all residents need or want the service, a decision was taken to continue to offer garden waste collections, but as an opt-in chargeable service. This means that the collection of garden waste won't contribute to future council tax increases – and the cost of providing a garden waste collection service will only be met by those who use the service.