Garden waste service

Sign up to the garden waste service by visiting the NKDC website or calling customer services.

• Collection of first bin: £50.00.
• Collection of additional bins: £30.00 per bin.
• Purchase of additional brown bin: £49.50.

As a discretionary service which customers chose to subscribe to or not, it is essential that the garden waste collection service covers its own costs without the need for subsidy from general taxation. The fees are reviewed annually to ensure the charge is set at the right level to achieve full cost-recovery, projections on income and expenditure having to be made over a five-year period.

The charge is calculated to take an aggregated, longer-term view of anticipated customer take-up and increased operating costs such as fuel, tyres, vehicle maintenance, staffing costs etc.  It is our practice to regularly assess levels of service take-up and cost recovery, with a further review scheduled next year.

The garden waste subscription charge has been reviewed this year to ensure the service remains financially sustainable. Like many councils, we are facing significant increases in operational costs, including fuel, vehicle maintenance and staffing. The revised subscription fee reflects these unavoidable cost pressures and ensures we can continue to offer a reliable, high-quality service without diverting funding away from essential statutory services.

The standard subscription covers the cost of collecting one garden waste bin; any additional bins require more vehicle space, more processing, and more resources. Making sure the additional bin charge reflects these added costs ensures that the price paid by single bin households remains fair and that the service does not become subsidised by general council taxpayers.

The updated subscription price helps ensure we have the right fleet of vehicles and that staffing levels are resilient. This protects the long-term viability of the service for residents who choose to subscribe.

In setting the new charge, we reviewed the costs and then compared them with similar services offered by councils regionally and nationally. Despite the increase, our charge remains in line with or below that of many other local authorities offering a comparable service. The income raised is used solely to support the direct costs of running the garden waste collection.

The garden waste collection is an optional service, and we aim to keep the subscription as affordable as possible while ensuring it covers the cost of delivery. We only make changes where necessary to maintain the service. Residents can choose whether the service remains right for them, and alternative options such as home composting.

Brown.

Grass, Weeds, Hedge Cuttings, Leaves, Clean Straw, Flowers, Plants, Twigs, Small Branches, Real Christmas Trees (cut into small Lengths).

The process for composting the contents of the brown garden waste bins, takes place in the open. This is called “open windrow composting” this means the garden waste is placed in pile and turned by a machine which promotes the composting process.

The main outlet for the compost is agriculture.

The Animal Byproducts Regulations requires Council not to mix materials such as veg peelings; that may have come into contact with meat products, into a waste stream that will end up in agricultural use.

HOWEVER, from week commencing 30 March 2026 you will be able to dispose of your veg peelings in your food waste caddy that will be collected weekly.

Yes, as it has not been into the home or kitchen where it could be contaminated by meat products.

The service is discretionary.

Section 46 notice (Legal Notice) in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Section 46, North Kesteven District Council requires customers to present certain types of waste inside the appropriate bin for collection.

Garden waste can be collected from the kerbside but must be presented in a brown bin subscribed to the services.

Bags (plastic or biodegradable), Food waste (including fruit and vegetables), Ash, Glass, Bricks and hardcore, Tree stumps and root balls, Grass sods and turf, Soil, Household waste, Soiled pet bedding.

Up to 4 bins.

Via Customer services or the NKDC Website.

Turned into compost.

Fortnightly but drops to monthly during the months of December and January when we find the amount of garden waste collected reduces.

From the 23 March 2026 to 19 March 2027.

Existing Direct debits are renewed automatically. One off payments can be made at any point throughout the year.

Sign up for collection reminders on our website. Simply search your address, view your full bin collection details, enter your email address and select “sign up”.

The cost of plastic continues to rise and whilst the council purchases bins in bulk, we are still subject to those increases.

North Kesteven District Council receives no income from the garden waste it collects. Lincolnshire County Council who, as the disposal authority for all collection authorities in Lincolnshire, must make arrangements for the processing of garden waste collected. To do this they let contracts with composting companies. Lincolnshire County Council must pay the composting company, this we call “a gate fee”.

North Kesteven District Council does not provide or sell compost bins.

Renewal trees can be cut up and placed in the garden bin ensuring the lid is down.

These can be disposed of at the Household and waste recycling centres around the area.

Alternatively, there may be local charities that can collect for a donation. 

The garden waste service can be transferred to the new property if required or cancelled. Please contact Customer services to transfer your service.

If you move out of the district or stop using the service for any reason, we will not give a refund. 

Damaged bins will be repaired or replaced for service subscribers at no charge to the resident.

New stickers can be sent out but a missing sticker should not prevent the bin from being emptied.

After an internal software update, we currently cannot process new DD customers. However, we are exploring options to resolve this for new annual payment options to be set up again.

We apologise that you are currently unable to do this, it was the process previously, after an internal software update it is not currently possible for us to accept new DD signups. However, we are exploring options to resolve this in order for new annual payment options to be set up again.

When we receive automated messages from your bank to cancel DD’s we have to action them by law. After an internal software update, we currently cannot process new DD customers. However, we are exploring options to resolve this in order for new annual Payment options to be set up again.

Unfortunately, we are not able to accept new applications for payment by annual direct debit for the 2026-27 garden waste service. All new or renewing customers must make a card payment for the 2026-27 service.

For existing direct debit customers: you will continue to have your payment taken annually via direct debit. Please note, if you move from one North Kesteven address to another North Kesteven address, we will be able to transfer your existing direct debit.