Recycling garden waste

Which container?

Garden waste can be put in your brown lidded bin. Please make sure the bin lid is fully closed on your collection day.

We will empty one garden waste bin for free, but you can order and pay for as many additional garden waste bins as you like. Find out more about the additional garden waste service.

What can you put in the garden bin?

Yes please

• Shrub prunings
• Garden weeds
• Plants and leaves
• Hedge trimmings
• Dead flowers
• Cut grass
• Small tree branches (around 15cm in width, 1m in length)
• Christmas trees (any Christmas trees left next to the bin will not be taken)

No thanks

• Soil and compost (including on the roots of plants)
• Turf or peat (for example from hanging baskets)
• Food waste (including any food waste prepared in the kitchen or grown in the garden)
• Large tree branches (over 15cm thick)
• Pet/animal waste or bedding (such as straw, sawdust or bird seed)
• Building materials (such as bricks, concrete, stone or rubble)
• Ash - please place cooled ashes in the black bin
• Plastics (such as bags, flowerpots or trays)
• Ceramic plant pots
• Domestic/black bin waste
• Cardboard or paper
• Compostable/biodegradable bags, film or packaging
• Garden furniture (such as wooden tables and plastic chairs)

Where does it go?

Find out what happens to your garden waste.

Home composting

Home composting is the best environmental option for garden waste as the material doesn't need to be transported anywhere. See our composting page for more information.

Garden waste collections - Frequently asked questions

Why can't I put soil in the brown lidded bin?

We cannot accept soil, compost, turf or peat in the garden bin as it can make the bin very heavy and difficult to empty, and inhibits the composting process. Soil, chippings, and stones also cause unnecessary wear and tear on the shredders and machinery at the facility we take your garden waste to.

Soil and turf can be taken to Leicestershire County Council's Recycling and Household Waste Sites in Lount, Coalville and Shepshed.

What if I already compost all my garden waste and don't want a garden waste bin?

Obviously we don't want to stop you home composting - because this is the best thing to do.

But even if there are only small amounts of branches or prunings that you used to throw away in your black bin, these could go in the garden bin.

What happens if I am producing more garden waste than will fit in the bin?

Home composting is the first and best thing you can do with any garden waste.

You can also sign up to the additional garden waste service. We will empty one garden waste bin for free, but you can pay for as many additional garden bins as you like. Find out more.

Other ways to deal with garden waste are to make a compost heap, spread grass cuttings in flower borders or under shrubs. You can mulch the waste to reduce volume, take excess to the local tip or stagger the waste until the next collection.

Take a look at these tips for your extra garden waste

Why can't I put food waste in my brown lidded bin?

We cannot accept food waste (including any food grown in the garden) in the brown lidded bin. This is because the facility where we take the garden waste is not licensed to accept food waste.

Your garden waste is sent to an open-windrow composting facility, where the garden waste is processed in the open air. If it contained food waste it could attract vermin such as birds and rats.

Food waste can also potentially contain pathogens (germs that cause diseases). As the garden waste is not heat treated, any pathogens present would not be destroyed. Some councils can accept food waste in the garden bin as it is sent to an 'in-vessel' composting facility where it is heat-treated.

There are no suitable in-vessel composting facilities in the area, therefore we are directed by Leicestershire County Council (as the disposal authority) to the facility at Lount. The facility is licensed by the Environment Agency which prohibits food waste at the site.

Following the foot and mouth outbreak in 2003, the rules for composting were reviewed and tightened by the government. Since then compost also has to meet a strict standard called PAS 100 for resale. Putting the right items in your garden waste bin will help to make sure the compost meets this standard.

Most food waste can be easily home composted. We are also trialling weekly, separate food waste collections with 4000 households as part of our Recycle more... action plan.

Why can't I put compostable/biodegradable packaging in my brown lidded bin?

We are not able to accept compostable/biodegradable packaging such as bags or film in the garden bin. This is because the garden waste is sent to an outdoor composting facility. The process the garden waste goes through does not allow compostable/biodegradable bags or film to breakdown quick enough as it doesn’t involve heat to allow this such as in-vessel composting.

Please dispose of this type of packaging in the black bin.