Garden Waste Collection Service Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The collection of garden waste is not a statutory service under the Controlled Waste Regulations 2012, therefore local councils do not currently have to provide a garden waste collection and the service is not directly included in council tax bills.

If you do not have a brown bin and you don't require one, you do not need to take any action. If you would like to start a garden waste collection service you can book online for a subscription by clicking the button below and we will deliver you a bin.

Please note that the button below will open in a new window.

Sign up to the Garden Waste Collection Service

The cost will be £50 per bin for the period 1st April 2025 - 31st March 2026.

The new service started on 1st of April 2025. We will provide fortnightly garden waste collections to you if you pay the subscription fee for the Scheme in advance. The annual fee for the service is set by us each year and details of the current fee and other charges are published on our website.

If you are in receipt of Council Tax Reduction due to a low household income, have a Care Leaver (Under 25) discount or have a Severe Mentally Impaired Exemption for Council Tax Exemption you will be entitled to a discount of 10%.

To apply this discount you must upload proof of entitlement via the below form online form. This will need to be a photo of your current Council Tax bill clearly showing the discount/exemption and your name and address. 

Please note: The 25% Single Person Discount on Council Tax is a different discount and will not entitle you to the 10% off.

Please note that the button below will open in a new window.

Sign up to the Garden Waste Collection Service

Replacement brown bins are being recycled and supplied free of charge while we have recycled stock. If you would like a new brown bin these can be provided at a cost of £45 consistent with the cost of our other replacement bin charges.

The £50 subscription fee is for the cost of the service provided and does not include a new bin. Replacement brown bins are being recycled and supplied free of charge while we have recycled stock, however, if you would like a new brown bin these can be available at a cost of £45 consistent with the cost of our other replacement bin charges.

The price will not be reduced if you subscribe halfway through the year, as this is an annual fee. All renewals will take place at the same time each year.

The annual fee for the service is set by us each year and details of the current fee and other charges are published on the Council’s fees and charges page.

Yes, you can have more than one garden waste bin, each bin is charged at the rate of £50 per year.

To sign up to receive an additional bin click the button below. Please note that the button below will open in a new window.

Request an additional garden waste bin

Within 14 days of payment of the fee, we shall send to you a permit sticker for you to put onto the bin. We will only empty bins that have the permit sticker clearly displayed.

If the permit sticker does not arrive within 14 days, please order a replacement online by completing the below form or you can contact us on the phone.

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Order a replacement permit sticker

Please leave your bin out and our crews will be made aware of the delayed permit sticker delivery. If you sign up in February 2025 the permit stickers will be posted from 1st March 2025 so please allow 14 days from this point. 

Yes, you can subscribe on behalf on somebody else via the below online form. 

Please make sure when entering the permit address on the subscription form it clearly states the address you want the permit for.

Please note that the button below will open in a new window.

Sign up to the Garden Waste Collection Service

Please note collection days will be on the same day as the current collection. You can check your bin collection days online.

If you are eligible for an assisted collection and have paid the annual fee for the brown bin, our crews will continue to collect your bin from within the boundary of your property.

If you move house, please leave your bin at the property. If you move within the Ipswich Borough, you can tell us about your change of address by clicking on the button below and we will ensure your subscription is transferred and that a new permit is issued to your new address. 

Please note that the button below will open in a new window.

Request to transfer Garden Waste Collection Service (brown bin) permit to a new property

If there is no garden waste bin at your new address, please tell us and we will deliver a bin free of charge. We will endeavour to deliver the bin to you within 14 working days of your request, subject to the property being occupied. To prevent any delay in continuing with the scheme please inform us at least 14 days prior to your move to a new address. 

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Request to receive a brown bin

It is the responsibility of the management company or landlord to arrange the payment for the service.

Yes, we would actively encourage the use of self-adhesive vinyl letters or numbers to label your bin and to distinguish it from your neighbours’ bins, this also assists in reducing the number of lost bins.  You must not scratch, engrave, spray paint, or use any other method of permanent marking.

You can find details further details on our using your brown bin page.

All garden waste should be put in your brown bin loose, not in bags or wrapped up.

Yes, you can read our full terms and conditions as a PDF or a Word document:

• Terms and conditions (PDF)
• Terms and conditions (Word Document)

If you currently have an additional paid for brown bin, we will contact you separately regarding any outstanding balance from your existing subscription and will issue a refund.

You will need to create a new subscription for all bins you wish to keep beyond April 2025.

No, you must use your designated brown bin with the permit sticker clearly displayed. 

If you don’t wish to subscribe to the new service and you want your brown bin removed, you can request to return your brown bin to the Council by clicking the button below. Please note that the button below will open in a new window.

Request for your brown bin to be returned

Use the Council’s Garden Waste pay as you go collection service where you can either get up to five bags of garden waste removed for £57.32 per collection here, or empty your garden waste bin for £12.99 per collection here. The £12.99 collection is a pay as you go service. If you require 3 or less collections per year this would work out less than the £50 annual subscription as shown below: 

1 collection per year is £12.99

2 collections per year are £25.98

3 collections per year are £38.97

Four collections or more would cost more than the annual Garden Waste Collection Service subscription of £50. Please keep hold of your brown bin to use this service. 

You can also:

• Take your garden waste to the Household Waste Recycling Centres.
• Compost at home, The Suffolk Waste Partnership has teamed up with Get Composting, offering you discounts on home composting bins or you can visit our Suffolk Recycles page which provides further information on community composting, home composting and Master Composter volunteering.

The Council will collect the bins with the purpose of storing and re-issuing these wherever possible. 

The Council will continue to offer a Christmas tree recycling service.