Brown garden waste bin

Wirral Council offers a garden waste collection service for domestic households. This service is not available for commercial properties.

Service Charges 2025-2026

  • £57.80 - first bin collection
  • £33.50 - each additional bin collection
  • £47.25 - new or replacement brown bin

Collection schedule

  • the subscription period runs from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026
  • bin collections take place every two weeks
  • there are no collections during the Christmas and New Year period

Check your collection dates and view your calendar

Subscribe to the garden waste service

Subscribe to the garden waste service

We no longer offer the option to pay for garden waste subscriptions by Direct Debit. This is because of the high administrative cost. If you currently pay by Direct Debit, we will contact you in April 2026. We will provide details of how you can continue to pay for your subscription by Debit or Credit card.

We do not accept cheques as payment for the service.

What you can put in your brown bin

  • grass cuttings
  • hedge trimmings
  • prunings
  • leaves
  • weeds
  • dead flowers
  • real Christmas trees (please chop into smaller pieces to fit inside the bin)

Important:

Learn how to keep your wheelie bin clean

Putting your bin out for collection

To help us collect your bin efficiently:

  • put your bin out by 7am on your scheduled collection day
  • keep the lid fully closed - overfilled bins may not be collected
  • do not put garden waste in bags, either inside or next to the bin. Bagged garden waste cannot be collected or processed
  • make sure your bin isn’t too heavy - the lifting equipment may not be able to empty it
  • don’t squash the waste down - it could get stuck in the bin or make the bin too heavy. Both will mean that your bin isn’t emptied
  • in cold weather, the contents may freeze to the bin. Give it a shake before collection to help loosen the waste
  • store any extra garden waste until your next collection

Other ways to get rid of garden waste

How will the waste collectors know I have subscribed to the service?

Our collection vehicles are equipped with electronic records of all subscribed households. Once you subscribe, you’ll receive a permit to display on your brown bin.

Please attach the permit as soon as you receive it – this helps our crews quickly identify your bin, avoid delays, and ensure your garden waste is collected as scheduled.

Moving house? Here's what you need to know about your garden waste subscription

If you're moving to a new address, please note the following:

  • subscriptions are linked to the property, not the person. If you move, your subscription cannot be transferred to your new address
  • you’ll need to purchase a new subscription for your new home, unless your new home already has an active subscription
  • no refunds are issued for any remaining time on your current permit
  • if there is no brown bin at your new property, you may take your existing bin with you

Paying by Direct Debit on your old home?

  • you must cancel your Direct Debit before the next payment is taken
  • once you’ve moved, you’ll need to set up a new Direct Debit for your new address

After receiving your new permit, you can begin using your bin on the next scheduled collection day.

Can I get a refund if I cancel my subscription?

If you paid by debit card or credit card

If you paid by debit or credit card, you can cancel your subscription and receive a full refund within 10 working days of the date you subscribed - provided no collections have taken place during that time.

If you paid by Direct Debit

You have a 10 working day cooling-off period before the first payment is taken. 

  • you can cancel during this cooling-off period without being charged and you will not be subscribed to the service
  • once the first payment has been taken, you cannot get a refund

Refunds are not available if you move out of the area.

Update or cancel a Direct Debit

You can update or cancel your Direct Debit either by contacting your bank, or by logging into your MyWirral account.

Can I pay by cheque to subscribe to the service?

No - we do not accept cheques.

Missed bin collections

If your bin hasn’t been collected on your scheduled day, please wait until after 5pm before reporting it.

Report a missed brown bin collection