Garden waste collection service terms and conditions

By paying for the service, you are accepting these terms and conditions

• all subscriptions are paid annually at the cost of £40 per annum, additional bins are charged at £25 per bin
• garden waste bins will be collected on a fortnightly basis over a 36-week period
• when subscribed online residents will be sent an e-mail reminder to re-subscribe to the next years service prior to commencement
• when subscribing via telephone, it is your responsibility to re-subscribe prior to the commencement of the next years' service
• if a resident does not re-subscribe to the garden waste collection service residents are able to keep their bin for future use
• the council reserves the right to refuse an application for the garden waste collection service

Service eligibility criteria

The council will offer the service to properties that fulfil the following criteria:

• are situated within the boundary of Stockton-on-Tees
• the area or property must be accessible by a 26-tonne refuse collection vehicle. This includes being able to empty bins and manoeuvre the collection vehicle easily and safely. The service will not be offered to properties which are on our hard-to-reach round

The council reserves the right to decline an application where the council considers it not viable to do so within the current resources.

• the fee is subject to a price increase each year at the discretion of and as advised by the council
• there are no concessionary rates or reductions to the annual fee available for those residents who are eligible for council tax support or any other benefits or reductions
• there will be no discounts for subscriptions which are purchased after the service begins

• the council reserves to the right to cancel collections without notice
• there are no refunds payable if residents choose to cancel the service part way through the subscription period
• if there is evidence of misuse of the service, the council may cancel a service and stop collecting a resident's bin. There will be no refunds in these circumstances

Residents have 14 days to cancel the service from the date of sign up. Cancel your garden waste subscription. 

• residents can subscribe to the garden waste service if they are a resident within the boundary of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and if there is adequate space to keep a wheeled bin within the boundary of their property between the bin collections. Brown bins cannot be left permanently stored on the public footpath or highway
• only bins provided by the council will be emptied. We will not collect garden waste presented in any other container
• if your bin is lost, stolen or damaged you can order a replacement by telephoning 01642 391959, there will be charged of £25 per replacement bin
• if a bin is believed to have fallen into the back of the bin lorry or was damaged while it was being emptied, the council will check this with the collection crew before the resident is charged for a replacement
• garden waste bins remain the property of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and must not be removed from the borough
• no service will be provided for garden waste bins not recorded on the council's electronic information recording system for the corresponding year

• garden waste should be placed loose in your bin(s) - no plastic bags or compostable liners
• no side waste will be collected, for example, we will not collect extra garden waste placed next to the bin, balanced on the lid or if re-filled after the bin has been emptied
• we will only collect garden waste including grass cuttings, flowers, small sticks and twigs, loose leaves, shrub and hedge trimmings
• we cannot collect food waste, animal waste (pet litter, bedding including straw or hay), soil, compost or turf, bricks, stones or rubble, treated wood, flowerpots, fake grass, wire netting and fencing, garden furniture, garden toys, ash, compostable packaging or any other non-organic material from your garden. If you place these items in your bin, it will not be emptied until they have been removed
• contaminated bins will not be emptied. If a bin contains incorrect items, it is a resident's responsibility to remove them prior to the next collection. If the contamination continues, we may remove the bin(s). No refund will be given in these circumstances
• residents garden waste bin(s) must be used for garden waste from a property within the Borough. Commercial waste is excluded and should be removed by a private waste management company

• all garden waste must be presented at the boundary of your property or at the agreed collection point by 7am on your day of collection. If your garden waste is not presented for collection on time, we will not be able to collect it until the next scheduled collection day
• all garden waste bins must be clearly visible from the road, without any obstructions, away from hedges and walls
• bins that are overflowing or too heavy for the crew to safely handle will not be collected. Operatives must be able to manoeuvre all bins with due regard for health and safety. All wheeled bins must be closed for health and safety reasons and to prevent spillages
• in freezing conditions, bins will be emptied as thoroughly as possible, however frozen contents will be left in place if they are stuck to the inside of the bin and no return will be made. Residents should loosen the contents of their bin before the next scheduled collection

Collection days

• garden waste will be collected fortnightly from the 1^st April. You can check your garden waste collections days on the Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council website
• the council reserves the right to change your collection day subject to providing you with prior written notification

• garden waste will be collected fortnightly. You can check your garden waste collection day on the Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council website
• the Council reserves the right to change your collection day subject to providing you with prior written notification

• if a bin is presented correctly and has been missed by the collection crew, a replacement collection will be provided if the collection is reported as missed
• there are no refunds for all or part fees for missed collections
• garden waste bins not presented for a collection at the time crew arrive at the property will be recorded on the electronic system, which will be submitted to the supervising officer and customer service team at the end of the working day
• in the event of adverse weather such as severe snow and ice the service may be suspended. Attempts will be made to return and empty the bin where practicable however collections cannot be guaranteed. There will be no refunds in any circumstances where collections do not take place

• subscriptions are transferable to another address within Stockton-on-Tees Borough. If residents move house, resident details will need to be updated by telephoning 01642 391959 or emailing careforyourarea@stockton.gov.uk 
• it is the residents' responsibility to take the bin to their new property
• if a bin is moved to a new address without notifying the Council, it may be removed
• if residents move out of the Borough, the council will not be able to issue a refund unless it is within the first 14 days of signing up to the service

• an assisted collection service is available upon request for eligible households
• where residents already receive assisted collections for their domestic waste and recycling bins and they are eligible for the garden waste collection service, it will automatically be arranged for them to receive assisted collections for their garden waste bin, when they subscribe to the service

• residents have the right to appeal to the Council if their property has been excluded from the garden waste bin collection scheme,  and they believe that their property is eligible based on the criteria for the scheme
• a review of all relevant information submitted will be undertaken by the Council but if the appeal is not upheld by the council, the council's decision is final and no further appeals may be submitted, unless there is a change to the resident's circumstances

These terms and conditions for the garden waste bin collection service do not affect resident's statutory rights.

• the council has a duty to keep records up to date therefore we require customers to notify us of any changes to their personal details
• Stockton-on-Tees Council uses your information in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation. The council uses your personal information to administer the Garden Waste Collection Service. The council will process your information where there is a lawful basis to do so, such as Article 6 (a) Consent and (e) Public Task. Where consent is the basis relied upon, this can be withdrawn through cancelling your service online.  Your information may be shared with other services within Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council where necessary and may be shared with third party organisations where we have a lawful basis to do so. Your information will be held in accordance with the council's retention schedule. For more details on how we use your personal information please view our privacy notice

• the council reserves the right to vary these terms and conditions at any time and you will be notified of any changes
• the council reserves the right to withdraw its service at any time. The council will give one month's written notice should the withdrawal be permanent. No refund will be issued, and the bin will be removed