Garden waste collections

Garden waste collected through kerbside collections is composted under a contract with Hills Waste Solutions. The decomposition process takes 12 weeks, producing high quality compost and top soil which is certified to BSI PAS 100 standards. It is suitable for farming, landscaping and gardening.

Compost can be purchased in small bags from Wiltshire's Household Recycling Centres or in larger volumes directly from Hills Waste Solutions Ltd: About our compost (opens new window). You can find your closest HRC on our HRC locations and opening times page.

Where too much waste has been compacted into a bin, and we are unable to empty it, it will not be collected. You can request an additional bin by using our Register or renew online (opens new window) form. There is no limit to the number of bins you can pay for.

You can also take garden waste to any of the Household Recycling Centres for composting, or you can compost some of your waste at home. See the Home composting page for more information on how to get a compost bin at a reduced price. 

When you move house all bins should be left at the property. If you would like to continue to receive a charged garden waste collection from your new property you should Change your garden waste collection address (opens new window) so we can ensure that a bin is available at your new house.

If you are moving outside of Wiltshire we are unable to issue any refunds or take payments for only part of the year. If you know you are going to be moving, you can take your garden waste to a Household Recycling Centre for free rather than signing up if you prefer.

Frozen garden waste bin lids and contents may prevent crews from emptying your bin. You must make sure that the bin is able to be opened and the contents inside are loose.

As payments can take up 48 hours to process, you should renew by Friday 28 June to avoid a break in your collections.

Yes, if you would like to have your garden waste collected then you will need to pay the subscription fee. The cost of the service can be found on our Collection charges page. You will be provided with up to four reusable garden waste bags, the equivalent of one 180 litre garden waste bin.

Subsidised food waste composters are available. See the Home composting page for more details.

No, we do not provide stickers for garden waste bins.

The crews have an in-vehicle system to tell them which addresses to collect from. You must make sure your house name or number is clearly displayed on the back of your garden waste bin, below the handle. You can use a permanent marker to display your house name or number on any reusable garden waste bags. If the address is not visible to crews they may not empty your bin as they cannot verify the service has been paid for.

No, it is the resident's responsibility to clearly display the house name or number on their garden waste bin or bag.

Yes, we continue to offer subsidised food waste composters which will also compost garden waste. See the Home composting page for more details. This is a good alternative to paying for a collection or taking garden waste to a Household Recycling Centre. 

Yes, you can continue to take your garden waste to any of Wiltshire Council's household recycling centres free of charge. Check the Household Recycling Centre locations and opening times before visiting.

The cost of having garden waste collected has increased from £66 per bin to £70 per bin for the year which reflects current inflation levels and provides some recovery of operational costs. The Controlled Waste Regulations (England and Wales) 2012 allow councils to apply a charge for the collection of garden waste.

Yes. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, councils can charge for the collection of garden waste. Charging for the collection of garden waste is in line with almost all neighbouring councils who also have a charged service. You can still take your garden waste to any of the council's Household Recycling Centres at no charge.

No concessions are available.

No. The collection crews will visit your property regardless of whether you put your bin out for collection. 

The council suspends garden waste for two weeks over Christmas and the New Year. No refunds are available during this period. The full year's charge is based on 25 collections per year. You can check your collection dates on the Waste collection calendar (opens new window).

No. Only residents who pay to have their garden waste collected at the kerbside will have their real Christmas trees collected. One real Christmas tree will be collected per property. Residents who don't sign up for the chargeable garden waste service can take their real Christmas trees to any of the council's Household Recycling Centres for free.

Trees over 5ft should be cut into manageable pieces and placed in the garden waste container or the crew may not be able to collect.

The council will continue to own the bins.

Yes. These larger bins are left over from before Wiltshire Council was formed in 2009. It is council policy to provide 180 litre garden waste bins. When these old bins need to be replaced they will be replaced with standard 180 litre bins, so that all residents receive the same service. It would not be cost effective to replace all older bins in use with new bins.

No. The annual charge is based on the collection of garden waste from a 180 litre wheeled bin which is the standard size used across the county.

You should clearly mark your property name or number on the garden waste bin. You should also ensure that your bin is placed in a location which means that it is difficult for others to put waste in your bin.

Retrieving your bin from the kerbside soon after it is emptied will also help to ensure that others do not use your bin.