Garden waste service terms and conditions

1. This agreement is made between the resident (‘the Customer’) and Braintree District Council (‘the Council’) of Bocking End, Braintree, Essex, CM7 9HB, and sets out the terms and conditions under which the customer may use the Council’s Garden Waste Collection Service (‘the Service’).

Payment for the Service

1. The subscription for 2025/26 will run from 01 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. Thereafter, the renewal date will be on or around 01 March each year irrespective of what time during the year the subscription is taken out. Subscriptions do not run on a rolling 12-month basis.
2. Payment must be made in full when taking out a subscription. The fee is non-refundable, except in the circumstances outlined in this Agreement. No concessions are available.
3. In line with the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation & Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, you have 14 days from receipt of your payment to request cancellation of this service. This is the cooling off period, and during this period you will not receive the Service, the permit or any bin paid for. If you present a bin/sack and a collection takes place during this period, you confirm that you waive your right to cancel the subscription.

Cancellation

4. If purchasing the service for the first time a customer has 14 calendar days from the day after they pay for the service to cancel the service and receive a full refund. If the customer expressly requests that the service commence before then the right to cancel under the 14-day cooling off period will be waived, and Braintree District Council retain expenses necessary to cover costs of services provided.

   Cooling off period refunds must be requested by the customer and verified by the Council. The Council will aim to collect any purchased container(s) within 10 working days. The container must be empty and accessible by the crew.

   Cooling off period refunds will only be issued once the permit has been returned and any container(s) have been collected. Cancellation requests should be made in writing to the Recycling Team at recycling@braintree.gov.uk.  Requests for cancellation will be acknowledged within 48hrs of receipt and once the permit is returned and any container(s) collected it can take up to 10 working days for the refund to be received by the customer.

   Failure to return the permit and any container(s) that have been purchased will nullify any cooling off period refund.

   The customer may be charged for any damage to the container prior to a cooling off period refund being issued.

5. After the 14-day cooling off period a customer may cancel their subscription to the service at any time. There are no refunds or part refunds for the cancellation of the service outside of the 14-day cooling off period.  Cancellation requests should be made in writing to the Recycling Team at recycling@braintree.gov.uk.

Renewal

6. The subscription fee and additional bin/sack prices are reviewed on an annual basis. Details will be published on the Council’s website. Existing customers will be advised of the annual subscription price when we provide notification of expiry of existing subscription and options for renewal.  Renewal reminder information will be sent out via email 8 weeks and again 4 weeks prior to annual renewal.
7. Customers who pay their subscription to the service ONLINE WITH A DEBIT OR CREDIT CARD will AUTOMATICALLY RENEW each year on 01 March, or the following Monday if 01 March falls over a weekend
8. If the customer renews their subscription to the service the customer has 14 calendar days from the day after they pay for renewal of the service to cancel the service and receive a full refund.  If the customer expressly requests that the service commence before then the right to cancel under the 14-day cooling off period will be waived, and Braintree District Council will keep what’s necessary to cover costs of services provided. 
   
   Cooling off period refunds must be requested by the customer and verified by the Council. The Council will aim to collect any purchased container(s) within 10 working days. The container must be empty and accessible by the crew.
   
   Cooling off period refunds will only be issued once the permit has been returned and any container(s) have been collected. Cancellation requests should be made in writing to the Recycling Team at recycling@braintree.gov.uk.Requests for cancellation will be acknowledged within 48hrs of receipt and once the permit is returned and any container(s) collected it can take up to 10 working days for the refund to be received by the customer.
   
   Failure to return the permit and any container(s) that have been purchased will nullify any cooling off period refund.
   
   The customer may be charged for any damage to the container prior to a cooling off period refund being issued.
   
   There are no refunds or part refunds for the cancellation of the service outside of the 14 calendar days.

The Service

9. The Service is available to domestic premises only in the Braintree District and is based on a fortnightly collection throughout the year, except for a 2-week period over Christmas/New Year.
10. A permit sticker authorising collection will be provided for each (wheeled bin) subscription purchased. This will be sent out to the subscriber via post. This permit will not be sent until after the 14 day cooling off period has expired. If this permit has not been received within 21 days of the subscription payment the Council should be notified.
11. This sticker must be affixed to the rear of the bin below the handle. It is the responsibility of the Customer to place the subscription sticker on the bin.
12. If a sticker becomes detached or lost from the bin, the Customer must contact the Council to request a replacement sticker. Please note that our staff will not empty any green wheeled bins that are not displaying a valid subscription sticker.
13. The standard bin provided is a 180L green wheeled bin. All new, additional and replacement bins must be purchased from the Council and will be 180L capacity – no other bin size will be provided.
    • Customers will need to purchase a bin from the Council unless they have an existing bin issued by the Council for garden waste collections. Existing bins may be used (regardless of size) until they are no longer serviceable, at which time customers will need to buy a replacement.
    • Residents may share a bin: this must be registered to one property and a single payment made. The bin must be presented for collection outside the registered property only or collection will not take place.
    • Households on black sack collections who wish to receive a garden waste collection service will need to buy compostable garden waste sacks issued by the Council (no other type of sack will be accepted). N.B. Sack collections are only available to households unsuitable for wheeled bins.
14. In using the service, the customer accepts that they can only use the designated paid for wheeled bins or garden waste sacks provided by the Council for the collection of garden waste. The Council will not collect garden waste presented in any other container(s).
15. All purchased bins are the property of the Customer and they are responsible for their care and maintenance.
16. Should a bin become damaged, lost or stolen, a replacement bin must be purchased to continue receiving the service. The Council will not issue refunds for collections not undertaken whilst Customers are awaiting delivery of new/replacement bins.

Presenting Garden Waste for Collection

17. All waste must be fully contained within the bin and the bin presented with the lid shut. The waste should be loose inside the bins i.e. not in bags. No excess waste on top or to the side of the bin will be removed.
18. Bins (or compostable sacks for properties on sack collections) must be placed at the designated collection point by 7am on the day of collection. Sacks should be tied securely. Bins should be positioned with the sticker facing towards the road. The crews will empty the bins and return them with the lids shut to their original collection point after emptying.
19. Bins should be retrieved by the customer as soon as possible after collection and stored within the boundary of the property between collections.
20. The following items are accepted in your garden waste bin or sacks:
    • Grass cuttings and leaves
    • Hedge/shrub trimmings
    • Small branches
    • Fruit fall (small quantities)
    • Dead plants and weeds (except harmful, invasive plants such as Japanese Knotweed, Giant Hogweed, or Ragwort)
21. An Assisted Collection service is available to Customers on request (subject to eligibility). Please visit the Council’s website for more information. Customers who already receive Assisted Collections of their refuse and recycling will be eligible for an assisted garden waste collection.

Contaminated Waste

22. Bins/sacks containing waste that is not accepted will be deemed ‘contaminated’ and will be stickered and left by the crew. In these circumstances, the Customer should retrieve the bins/sacks, remove the contaminants and re-present the waste for collection on the next scheduled collection day.

Missed Collections

23. Customers are required to report missed collections as soon as possible, but in any event by 12 noon the next working day after collection and should leave their bins or compostable sacks at their normal collection point to facilitate collection. The Council aims to return and collect missed garden waste within 2 working days of receiving a justified report.
24. The collection crews will not return to empty bins nor will any refunds be issued in the following circumstances:-
    • The bin/sack is not at the normal collection point when the crew call.
    • The bin/sack is reported after 12 noon on the next working day after the scheduled collection.
    • The bin/sack has been stickered as ‘contaminated’.
    • The bin/sack is too heavy to be lifted/tipped.
    • The waste is excess (side) waste.
    • The bin/sack is unauthorised e.g. not Council-issue or bin has no subscription sticker.
    • The contents are compacted, frozen or otherwise stuck inside the bin.
    • The bin is damaged and emptying it would pose a health and safety risk.

Missed bin reports may be verified by the crew records including photographs taken at the time of their visit.

New/Replacement/Additional Bins

25. The Council will provide a 180L green wheeled bin, which may come from refurbished stock.
26. All bins will be delivered after the 14 day cooling off period and collections will commence on the next scheduled collection day following delivery of your bin/s.

Compostable Sacks (available only to households not on wheeled bin collections)

27. Compostable sacks are available to buy from the Council priced per roll of 20. Please note that they have a shelf-life of up to 12 months if stored with care, but will naturally weaken with age so don’t keep more than you need. We recommend that you only buy stock that will last you for the next 6 months. Do not store sacks in a place where they are likely to get damp or mouldy.
28. Supplies may be purchased as and when needed throughout the year and we aim to deliver within 14 days of receiving payment.
29. The sacks may only be used for domestic garden waste. There is no restriction on the quantity of sacks that can be put out for collection, but only garden waste presented in sacks purchased from the Council will be collected.

Disruption To Service

30. The crews endeavour to keep to schedule, but occasionally this may not be possible. Where delays arise, residents are asked to leave their bin/sacks at their normal collection point and the crews will work as quickly as possible to catch up.
31. In exceptional circumstances such as extreme weather or other factors outside of the Council’s control, the Council reserves the right to vary and/or suspend the service without notice. In such circumstances, notices and service updates will be posted on the Council’s website.
32. In freezing weather conditions bins will be emptied as thoroughly as possible, but frozen contents may be stuck to the inside of the bin. In these circumstances, our collection crew will not return until the next scheduled collection.

Moving Home

33. Customers may transfer their wheeled bin subscription to a new address if relocating within the Braintree District and the property is suitable for bins. Please give us at least 10 working days’ notice if you wish to do this. It is the responsibility of the Customer to take their bin to their new address if the subscription is being transferred.
34. Customers using compostable sacks may only use these at their new property if it is in receipt of a sack collection i.e. does not receive a wheeled bin collection service.
35. If a Customer doesn’t wish to transfer their subscription to their new home or is moving out of the District, they must notify the Council as soon as possible so that the service can be cancelled.
36. Nothing herein contained is intended to affect a Customer’s statutory rights.

To contact the Council in respect of any queries, issues or complaints relating to this service, please call our Customer Services Team on 01376 552525.

Updated: January 2025