Like councils up and down the country, we’re facing serious and significant budget gaps – caused by a range of factors outside of our control, and against the backdrop of significantly reduced Government funding.

Introducing a small charge for our discretionary garden waste (green bin) collection service is one of a range of changes which is being introduced to help us prioritise where we spend our money, and make sure we can protect those services that the most vulnerable people rely on.

We know that garden waste collections are valued by many residents across the borough, but not everyone needs or uses this service, and we are in the minority of councils which currently do not charge for it – the money raised through the charge will help offset the cost of providing this service and help protect funding for essential services.

The change also allows for a more efficient service – on average garden waste bins are less than a quarter full at each collection. By charging, only those who need the service will use it – this will reduce the amount of journeys made on collection days, reducing emissions and limiting the impact of collection vehicles on traffic. 

You can find out more in our Budget Conversation brochure.

The cost for garden waste collections is a one-off fee of £40, for fortnightly collections until the end of March 2025.

You can register for the service online.

If you cannot do this online you can register by calling 01246 345285 or by visiting our customer services team based in the Town Hall. 

For the first year you will only be able to pay through a one-off payment, this can be done using your credit or debit card. We hope to establish a Direct Debit facility for future years.

You will be provided with a sticker to place on the back of your existing green bin underneath the handles. Bin crews will collect all bins with valid stickers displayed on them, they will also have a list of properties highlighting where they should be collecting green bins, which is updated every seven days. If you sign up for the service, this sticker will be sent to you within seven working days.

The sticker will be sent directly to you. If you do not receive your sticker after seven working days please contact our customer services team. Our collection crew will have details of your subscription and your bin will not be missed even if the sticker has not arrived by April.

No, the sticker will include the address where the collection has been paid for and our collection crew will have these details too.

We will only visit properties that are listed as having paid for the collection and only collect bins with the correct address on.

If you register for the service your collection schedule will remain the same.

Yes, you can share your green bin with your neighbours - only one of you will need to sign up for the service and it will be your responsibility to decide how to split the cost between yourselves.

The bin should be presented outside the property that signed up for the service and that property is responsible for any contaminated waste in the bin.

Yes, you can sign up for an additional garden waste bin on top of your subscription for an additional £15 for the first year, you can request this by calling the team on 01246 345285.

Residents can keep their green bin if they wish to use it for other purposes. If it is not required, then we will arrange to collect your green bin later in 2024.

You can dispose of garden waste by taking it to a Household Waste and Recycling Centre, composting at home or by arranging through an authorised waste removal company.

If you choose to compost at home, you can a discounted compost bin from the Get Composting website.

You will not receive a discount on your council tax bill if you choose to opt out of garden waste collections. Those who wish to continue to receive the service, will pay a small additional charge through the registration process.

Chesterfield Borough Council collects council tax on behalf of a number of local organisations, but only around 10% of your bill goes towards the cost of providing all of the services we provide to our communities. This works out at 34p a day for the majority of households in Chesterfield (Band A properties). You can find out more in our Budget Conversation brochure.

The money raised through the charge will help offset the cost of providing this service and therefore help protect funding for essential services that the most vulnerable people in our communities rely on.

If you subscribe for the garden waste service, an assisted collection service will be automatically provided if you receive an assisted collection service for your black bin and recycling bin.

If you subscribe for the garden waste service, you will at no extra cost be able to continue putting food waste in your green bin.

If you do not subscribe to the service, then you should put food waste in your black bin or compost it at home.  A new food waste collection service will be introduced by 2026, as mandated by new national legislation

We do not anticipate that fly-tipping will dramatically increase because of the charge. However, if you do witness fly-tipping please report this to online or call 01246 345345.

We recognise that occasionally residents do experience inappropriate use of their bin by a neighbour or by someone passing by, if this problem occurs you can contact our customer services team about this.

You can dispose of leaves or other plant litter by putting it in your garden waste bin if you have paid the annual subscription charge, by taking it to the Household Waste Recycling Centre or composting it at home.

In relation to leaf litter or blossom from street trees, we will clear this when it drops either on to the road or pavements. When this material falls on private land it is the responsibility of the landowner/householder.  

Proposals to introduce a small charge for the collection of garden waste was the focus of our Garden Waste Budget Conversation survey, which closed in early January 2024.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to have their say. Information gathered during survey, plus other comments and individual submissions put forward as part of the wider Budget Conversation and in response to the council’s social media posts, have been used to inform the development of this proposal.

You will not be eligible for a refund. The fee charged for bins for your new property are to cover ongoing maintenance and free replacements if/when they become damaged or unusable.

No unfortunately there are no concessions for the garden waste collection scheme.