Brown-lidded (garden waste) bins

Why do we charge for garden waste? 
A charge was introduced as part of the 2024/25 as part of the budget setting process  

Is this charge compulsory? 
No, you can choose not to subscribe to our garden waste service. If you would like to have a garden waste service, you will need to purchase a yearly permit for £40 per bin. The charge applies regardless of the size of the bin. 
Alternatively, you can book a slot to take garden waste to the Tip off London Road or can consider home composting. 

Will I receive a refund on my Council tax? 
The collection of garden waste is a discretionary service, not a statutory service – i.e. one that the Council is not obliged to provide. As a result, there will be no refund on your Council Tax 

When will the subscription begin? 
The garden waste (brown-lidded bin) collections will start from the 1 June 2025 and the permit will cover you for one year.  

How long is the permit for?  
The permit covers from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026.  If you sign up later in the year you will still only get a permit valid until 31 May 2026.  

How can I pay for my garden waste subscription? 
Payments can be made online through www.coventry.gov.uk/gardenwaste, over the phone on 0808 5834 333 or in person using cash, cheque or card at the Customer Service Centre in Upper Precinct. Cheques should not be sent in the post.  

Can I collect my permit in person? 
No, all permits will be sent in the post to the address you choose regardless of how you pay for it. 

When will the permit be delivered? 
Your sticker will be delivered within five - ten working days of you making your payment. Please see the instructions on the back of the sticker once it arrives which will tell you where to stick it on your garden waste bin. 

Can I still put food waste in the brown-lidded (garden waste) bin if I have a subscription?   
Yes, food waste can still be put in the garden waste bin. 

What can I do with my food waste if I don’t want a permit? 
If you do not have a subscription, your brown-lidded (garden waste) bin will not be emptied. Any food waste should go into your green-lidded household waste bin or can be composted at home. 

What if I don't want the service and have a garden bin I no longer want? 
We ask that residents store them on their property. The garden waste bin will then be available should you change your mind or for the next occupier if you move property or decide to subscribe to the garden waste collection later. If you would like us to remove the bin, you can fill out a form to ask us to remove it.  If your garden bin is damaged and you ask for a replacement without having a subscription, the bin will not be delivered or will be removed due to lack of subscription.  

I don’t have a brown-lidded (garden waste) bin at my property; do I need to request one before or after I subscribe to this service? 
You will need to request a brown bin after you have subscribed. The system will only allow you to request one if you have an active subscription. You can fill out an online form 

What can I put in my brown-lidded (garden waste) bin? 

• grass cuttings 
• shrub and hedge clippings 
• plants and weeds 
• leaves 
• twigs and bark 
• flowers 
• food waste 

Can I put the garden waste in my green-lidded household waste bin? 
No, you should not put any garden waste into your green-lidded household waste bin, apart from invasive weeds such as: 

• Giant Hogweed 
• Japanese Knotweed 
• Himalayan Balsam 
• Wolfsbane 
• Horsetail 
• Himalayan Knotweed 
• Hedge Bindweed 
• Common Ragwort 
• Hairy Bittercress 
• Deadly Nightshade 

None of these should be composted or put in your garden waste bin as they are either difficult to control and spread very quickly or are poisonous to grazing animals. 

If your green-lidded household waste bin contains garden waste, you will need to remove it so our crews can collect on your next scheduled collection day.   

Can I pay monthly or pay for a one-off collection? 
No, it is an annual charge. We don’t offer a one-off collection service and would encourage you to take this waste to the Tip off London Road. 

Can I put additional bags at the side of the brown-lidded garden waste bin? 
No, we won't collect any extra garden waste. Our crews will only empty, brown-lidded garden waste bins that contain the correct materials, have closed lids and are not too heavy to move safely.  

• If you have too much garden waste to fit in your bin, you can keep it back and put it in your garden waste bin after it has been emptied for the next collection or compost it at home 
• take extra garden waste to the Recycling and disposal centre (The Tip) 
• request an additional brown-lidded garden waste bin. However, you will need to pay for an additional collection permit for each brown-lidded bin you would like to be emptied. Residents can have up to 10 permits per household. You can request an additional bin through our website. 

What if I lose or damage my bin? 
We will order a replacement garden waste permit sticker if we must replace your garden waste bin where it is damaged beyond repair.  This will be delivered within 5-10 working days. 

What happens if I damage or lose my permit/bin with a sticker? 
The stickers are high tack, and good quality so should not fall off. However, if yours is damaged or needs to be replaced you can go into your subscription via your My Account and reorder a label by selecting garden waste and then permit issues.  If you signed up via the Customer Service Centre call 08085 834333 and we will order a replacement permit sticker which will be delivered within 5-10 working days. Please be aware that we may require you to return a damaged sticker.  

What happens if I need an additional bin / permit? 
If your need another garden waste permit and bin you can go into your subscription via your My Account and add another bin to your subscription.  If you signed up via the Customer Service Centre you can call 08085 834333 and we will help you to do this.  Your new sticker will  be delivered within five - ten working days.  

If your bin is damaged or needs to be replaced, please report it to us through the website or call us on 08085 834333 and we will order a replacement bin and permit.  

How will you know to collect my bin? 
Our crews will have the information of subscribed properties to ensure those paying for the service receive the service. They will also then check for the permit on the bin before emptying the bin. Your sticker will have your address on it.  

What happens if the crews don’t start collecting my garden bin? 
We will add your property to our waste system which will alert the crew to collect your bin.  We ask that you allow up to 10 working days for the service to start from payment date. 

Can I share a bin with my neighbour(s)? 
Yes, you can share a garden waste bin with a neighbour or neighbours. Please make sure that the garden waste bin is left outside the property number that you have used to subscribe to the garden waste collection with.  Please be aware that the house number on the permit is responsible if the bin is contaminated, misused or notifying us if the bin needs to be replaced. 

Will the garden waste collection be a carried out all-year round? 
Brown-lidded bins will be emptied fortnightly, however, there will be the usual pause to collections each year over the Christmas period.  

What if I move house? 
If you move within the city, you can transfer your subscription to your new address. Please tell us using our online form: www.coventry.gov.uk/gardenwaste by selecting moving house or call us on 08085 834333. We do ask that you allow time for the new sticker to be issued so that your service resumes as quickly as possible. You can choose if you want the sticker sending to your current or new address. If you move out of the city, you will not receive a refund as the payment is a one-off payment for the whole year. However, the bin could be used by the next resident at your address if you leave your permit on the bin. 

What if I change my mind and wish to cancel my subscription through the year  
If you change your mind within 14 days (cooling-off period) of making your payment you will be able to cancel your subscription and be given a full refund. You can cancel your subscription via your My Account. Or by calling us on 08085 834333. After the 14 days cooling-off period has expired no refunds will be given and you will not be able to cancel your subscription. 

What if other residents use my bin? 
We recognise that from time-to-time, residents do experience use of their bin by a neighbour or someone passing their house. For properties with high accessibility to their bins, we advise restricting access if possible. Bin locks can be purchased (but must be unlocked on collection days so the crew can empty the bins). 

If we have missed your garden waste bin, please report any missed within two working days so that crews can get back to you. 

Report a missed bin collection 

Reasons why your bin may not have been collected: 
If your bin was not collected and has a tag on it, please check the webpage Bin tags / Collection issues for reasons why your bin may not have been collected.  

Will this encourage more fly-tipping? 
We do not anticipate that fly-tipping will increase, however, if you see fly-tipping we ask that you report this as soon as possible by either the website and fill in the online form or by calling 08085 834333. We would encourage residents who have witnessed fly-tipping or have good video evidence to contact us so that they can help us to reduce people illegally dumping rubbish or other anti-social behaviour. 

How can I dispose of my garden waste if I do not want to pay for the service? 
For those households that have a garden but do not wish to pay or do not have enough garden waste to warrant paying the annual subscription for fortnightly collections, there are the following options:   

• Book a slot and take it to the tip off London Road. 
• Compost it at home. 

Are there any concessions for the garden waste service? 
No, there are no concessions for the service. 

If I sign up part way through the year, how much will it cost? 
Regardless of when you sign up within the set year, the cost of the subscription will remain at £40. 

We are a community garden group / charity, do we still have to pay for garden waste collections? 
Everyone that wants a garden waste collection will need to pay for the service.  

I have an assisted collection service; will it continue? 
Yes.  

If I don’t sign up for the service, can I still have my real Christmas tree collected? 
No. We will have details of disposal options nearer the time on the website.