Garden waste terms and conditions

Introduction

1. In this document “we”, “us” and “our” mean West Northamptonshire Council (and includes other organisations working on our behalf, such as Veolia and West Northants Norse), and “you” means the person who has asked or agreed to receive the garden waste subscription service.
2. These are the terms and conditions of the agreement between us and you for the provision of the garden waste subscription service.
3. The headings in this document are for ease of reading only and have no legal effect.

What the service covers

1. The garden waste subscription service is a service provided by us to households. Non-domestic waste, such as that from businesses, cannot be part of the service. If you are a business which needs garden waste collection service, please contact us to discuss our trade waste services.
2. We will collect garden waste from you normally once every two weeks.
3. A two-week period when you will not receive a collection will be planned late December or early January, you will be advised of the confirmed dates later in the subscription year, meaning that we aim to collect garden waste from you 25 times each year.

Subscribing

1. Each subscription will start on the first Monday in April and run until the day before this the following year. This is called the subscription period, which for the subscription year 2024-2025 will be 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
2. The charge for each subscription period will be published on our website. There are no discounts, concessions, or pro rata charge for joining the service part way through a subscription period.
3. The subscription charge is for each garden waste bin emptied on a fortnightly basis or up to 25 booked collections for sack properties, across 50 weeks of the year, with a short break for Christmas.
4. Payment for each subscription period must be made before the service will be provided.
5. Payments can be made with most valid debit or credit cards or by annual direct debit online at www.westnorthants.gov.uk/gardenwaste.
6. Once you have subscribed the service will start from your next scheduled collection (after the subscription period has begun). We will not collect your waste if you subscribe on your scheduled collection day.
7. If you wish to leave the service at any time, please contact us. No refunds will be given for leaving the service.
8. If you move to an address within the West Northamptonshire Council area you may transfer your subscription to the new address. Please contact us to cancel the sticker at your old address and we will raise a request for a transfer to your new address. You must give us at least 14 days’ notice.
9. If you move to an address out of the West Northamptonshire Council area, you cannot take your subscription with you. You can leave your bin and remaining subscription for those moving into your property. No refunds will be given for leaving the service. You may also contact us to cancel the service.

Garden waste wheeled bins

1. Upon subscription if you use a wheeled bin but do not already have a garden waste bin at your property, we will provide one for you to use. The garden waste bin will continue to belong to us at all times.
2. Subscribing for the first time or renewing your subscription will not entitle you to a new garden waste bin.
3. Garden waste bins can be repaired or replaced and will only be replaced if we deem it necessary to do so.
4. The garden waste bin will be 240 litres in size (the same as most wheelie bins).
5. If you cease to subscribe to the garden waste service or ask to stop receiving it, please contact us to arrange removal of your garden waste bin.
6. For each year that you subscribe to the service, we will provide you with a sticker that shows that you have paid to receive the service. You must apply this sticker to the garden waste bin following the instructions that come with the sticker. If your bin does not clearly show the sticker so that the collection crews can see it, we have no obligation to collect garden waste from it, and you will not be entitled to a refund.
7. The stickers may only be applied to garden waste bins provided by us. Even if they are attached to something else, we will not collect garden waste from it.
8. Whilst you await the arrival of your sticker, our on-board technology will indicate a valid subscription and your waste will be collected accordingly.

Garden waste sacks

1. For properties that use sacks for their refuse and recycling collections, garden waste will still be collected from sacks. This is a chargeable which must be prebooked.
2. Residents must provide their own sacks.
3. Up to 10 sacks containing garden waste may be booked and collected for each scheduled collection. One subscription will allow you to book up to 25 collections throughout the year. If you require more than 25 collections you will need to purchase another subscription.
4. Sack properties will not receive stickers. Please note that only properties that have valid subscriptions will be able to book a collection. On board technology will enable our crews to determine those properties that have subscribed and require collections.

Using the service

1. Only garden waste from domestic households should be put in garden waste bins or sacks. Garden waste is plant material you would expect to find in a domestic garden; for example, grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, weeds, prunings, dead plants, twigs, straw and small branches.
2. The following items are not included in the service and must not be placed in the garden waste bin or sack as your waste will be classed as ‘contaminated’: food waste, cardboard or paper, wood planks, wood products, mud, rubble or soil, plastic, plant pots, sawdust or pet waste.
3. If the bin or sack is classed as ‘contaminated’, you will need to remove the contaminated waste before it is collected on your next scheduled collection day.
4. We will not return to collect any waste deemed as contaminated as above.
5. Garden waste must only be put in the bin loose. It must not be placed in bags or other containers as this will contaminate the waste.
6. Garden waste bins should be placed at the agreed collection point for your home. This is normally on the kerbside (the “highway maintainable at the public expense”) near your home.
7. Paid for sacks should be booked in advance and presented by 6.30am on the day of collection. Sacks must be placed in a safe position without causing an obstruction.
8. Bins should be presented by 6.30am on the day of collection. If the bin is not presented by this time the crew will not return until the next scheduled collection day. Bins must be placed in a safe position without causing an obstruction and removed once collection has taken place.
9. If you are entitled to an assisted collection service for your other waste collections (for example, if you have a disability which prevents you from moving bins) then you will also be entitled to an assisted collection for the garden waste service. Please see our website or contact us for further details of this service.
10. Garden waste bins which are overflowing so the lid cannot be fully closed or are too heavy for the crew to handle will not be emptied. You will need to alter the contents ready for the next scheduled collection day.
11. No side garden waste next to the wheeled bin will be collected.
12. No more than 10 sacks per property will be collected on the scheduled collection.

Bad weather and other problems

1. We do not guarantee that the garden waste subscription service will operate during times of particularly bad weather, such as lying snow or icy surfaces; however, your garden waste bin/sack should be left out kerbside and we will try and collect again once the weather improves.
2. We will not give refunds for collections missed due to these circumstances.
3. If it is so cold that garden waste freezes into your bin, it may not all come out when collected. If this happens, it will remain until the next scheduled collection.
4. If we cannot empty your bin or collect your sacks because of things like your road being blocked - for example, by parked cars - we will try again the next working day. If we still cannot gain access, we will not attempt another collection until the next scheduled collection day.
5. There may be occasions when we are unable to collect your garden waste bin/sack as a result of factors out of our control, such as pandemics and national disruptions. In these events we will endeavour to catch up collections as soon as possible.
6. If your bin or sack is regularly contaminated, we will contact you to offer you advice. If the contamination continues, the bin will be removed, and collections stopped. No subscription money will be refunded.

Personal data

1. To provide the service to you we will hold and use personal information about you (your “personal data”).
2. By applying for the service, you give us permission to hold your personal data, to share it with other people for the purpose of providing you with the service and dealing with any problems.
3. We will hold and use your personal data in accordance with legal requirements, in particular the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation.

Changes in terms and conditions

1. We may make minor changes in these terms and conditions, such as changes to contact details, by publishing updated information on our website.
2. We cannot make other changes to these terms and conditions during the subscription period to which they relate without your agreement unless the law requires us to; however, we may publish new terms and conditions for new subscription periods. If you choose to pay for the service for a new subscription period, the published terms and conditions which relate to that subscription period will apply.

Last updated 14 March 2024