Garden waste collection
Renew or join our garden waste service
Please note that the annual fee for collections for the 2025/26 service has increased by £1 from £39 to £40, and additional bins by 50p from £15 to £15.50.
We offer a paid Garden Waste Collection Service by annual subscription, where we will collect your Garden Waste from your property every 2 weeks. Each annual payment covers a 12-month period from 1 July to 31 June.
As part of this service, we will collect: grass cuttings, leaves, hedge trimmings, flowers and weeds.
Please note that stickers will come with addresses printed on, therefore ensure that the delivery address is the same as the collection address.
Bins presented outside properties that do not match the address on the sticker will not be emptied.
Service details
Bins must be presented kerbside by 6.30am on collection day.
Your green bin must have a valid green waste collection sticker in clear view (under the handles)
New customers can opt into the Garden Waste Service part way through the year, but there is no reduction to the cost. We aim to deliver your Garden Waste sticker within 10 working days.
Prices
The service costs £40 per year for your first bin and £15.50 per year for additional bins to be collected (up to a maximum of four bins per property. There is a delivery charge of £15.50 to have a new bin sent to your property.
When you subscribe
When you subscribe to the Garden Waste Service you will receive a letter that includes a sticker for your bin. You are required to place the sticker on your bin, under the handles in the location indicated in the letter.
Staff will cross reference the sticker with their rounds lists to ensure that only paying customers receive the service.
If the sticker isn’t correctly placed it is possible that the collection staff won’t see it, and your bin may not be emptied. If this occurs due to the sticker not being correctly positioned, we reserve the right not to return to any missed collections.
I need another/new sticker
If your sticker has fallen off or is damaged, please contact customer services.
I need a green bin
When you sign up to the Garden Waste Service you have the option to purchase a green wheely bin if there is not already one at the property.
You cannot supply your own bins which have been acquired elsewhere as the bins used need to meet safety standards or the required quality.
Bin sizes
We provide both 240L and 140L green bins and the charge we make is the same regardless of the bin size.
Please make clear at the point of ordering if you require the smaller bin size. If you order one bin size but later decide to change, then there will be a delivery charge.
I want to cancel my subscription
You can request to opt-out of the service at any time, however no refund will be payable.
I am moving home
If you are moving home but are staying inside the City of Lincoln Council boundary, please contact customer services and we will make arrangements for the service to transfer to your new property. You must take your green bin with you.
My property may have access issues
If you live at a property that has problems taking wheeled bins, we may not be able to offer the garden waste service. This is more commonly due to steps or very steep slopes which make their use impractical.
In such cases we will make a visit and take an objective view as to how safe it would be for you, and the collection operatives. We will try to get you on the service if we can, but in some instances, we may have to refuse on safety grounds.
Can I keep my bin
If you opt-out of the scheme you are not required to return the bin to the council. You may use the bin for your own purposes. However, it must be noted that standard green bins cannot be used for presenting general domestic or recycling waste.
Please ensure that if your bin is not used for the garden waste service it does not become a nuisance to others. For example, it should not be used to store refuse or become an obstruction to others.
Where to take garden waste if I don’t want to sign up to the service
If you do not wish to sign up to the Garden Waste Service, you can take garden waste to the Household Waste Recycling Centre, or you can compost at home. LINK Green waste cannot be places in your black or brown bin.
Green waste cannot go through recycling equipment, and it cannot go to the Energy from Waste plant, as green waste does not burn efficiently.
Christmas trees
In January following the Christmas period each year we offer a free Christmas tree collection service, during this period we will also accept Christmas trees in garden waste bins.