How does the service work?

Your garden waste will be collected every two weeks. It may be collected on a different day to your other waste. Please make sure your bin is out from 7am on collection day. Put your bin at the edge of your property.

Check our Bin Collection page for your collection dates

This information can also be found in your welcome letter.

Please Note: Any garden waste that is not in your bin will not be collected. Garden waste will not be collected for the two weeks over Christmas and New Year.

All garden waste is composted by OLUS Environmental.

For more information read our Garden waste service questions and answers.

View the garden waste terms and conditions.

How much does it cost?

A single yearly fee of £85 paid in full by Direct Debit.

The date is specified after you receive confirmation your application has been processed and will be outlined in your welcome email. This is taken on the first day of the month or the next working day. You cannot request any specific payment date for the Direct Debit.

The payment is for 25 collections throughout the year, as there is a two-week suspension of the service over the Christmas and New Year period.

You will be given a green-lidded 240 litre garden waste bin as part of your subscription. We do recycle our bins and your garden bin may not be always new.

The service is not transferable from one resident to another. New property owners or tenants must sign up for their own garden waste account and subscription. As per the terms and conditions of the service, there are no refunds for any remaining portion of the subscription, should the account holder cancel for any reason.

How do I sign-up for this service?

Following a recent expansion of our garden waste service, we are working as quickly as possible to process all applications received. Please note there is a waiting list currently in operation and all applications will be added to this list and processed based on the date they are submitted.

We will notify you ahead of your service starting by sending you a welcome pack confirming your service start date, payment confirmation, plus all the information regarding the service.

We continue to process our applications fairly, in date order, and are unable to process applications any sooner or if there is a garden waste bin already present at your property.

Please note that no payment will be taken until your service starts.
Please sign up to our garden waste subscription service using the online form below.

Join the Garden Waste Service

What happens after I submit an application?

Once we've received your application, you will receive a confirmation of the information you have submitted.

When your application has been processed, you will receive a welcome email or letter, confirming your service start date, bin delivery and first Direct Debit payment date.

Please note, no payment will be taken before your scheduled service start date. Your first payment date is the same date your subscription service starts and remains the date of your annual renewals.

If you change your mind after submitting an application, please let us know as soon as possible.

Missed bin collections

If your collection has been missed please review the guidelines checklist on our Collections and Missed Bins page. If you have followed the guidelines and your bin was not collected please fill in our online missed bin collection form which can be found on that page.

Moving home

If you are staying within Mid Sussex and want to use our garden waste collection service at your new home email gardenwaste@midsussex.gov.uk with both your old and your new home address.

Inform us of your move

Please make sure to let us know of your change of address at least 14 days before the move date. Please can you leave your current bin(s) out in a place visible from the road, so we can remove it. This ideally should be near your usual collection point. We will then deliver a bin(s) to your new property as soon as possible.

As this process can take up to 10 working days to complete, it is important that we are told of a change of address as soon as possible.

If you are moving out of Mid Sussex please:

  • Complete the cancellation form 14 days before you move
  • Cancel your Direct Debit - but only after telling us of your move by email.
  • Leave your garden bin behind

Ordering additional bins

If you are already a garden waste customer, and you would like to pay for an additional bin please complete our online form below quoting your garden waste account number.
 
Please note that there is a waiting list currently in operation and all applications for additional bins will be added to this list and processed based on the date they are submitted.

Order an additional bin

Cancelling the service

If you wish to cancel the service, please complete the cancellation section of our online form.

Cancel your Garden Waste subscription

Please leave your garden bin out ready for removal. Ideally we’d like you to leave the bin where your other bins are emptied from, however, if it isn’t suitable to leave it there then it must be placed in a location visible from the road and freely accessibly - i.e not behind a car. If you are unsure of where you should leave it, please ask.

Please note we will collect your bin when staff resourcing permits. No refunds will be given by MSDC in cases of cancellation before the end of the 12 month subscription period.

Update direct debit information

If you are currently a subscriber to the garden waste service, and you need to change/amend your Direct Debit details please complete the Direct Debit section of our online form.

Garden Waste Online Form

Please make sure that you update any details well in advance of any money being called for. Ideally it should be done by the 1st day of the month before it’s due. For example, if your Direct Debit is due on 1st March, please complete the form by 1st February. Should you need any more information please get in contact with us.

Frequently asked questions

What can't I put in my garden waste bin?

Japanese Knotweed

Japanese knotweed is a large plant known for quick-growth and for causing a lot of damage. Please take a look at the Royal Horticultural Society Japanese Knotweed page.

More information on non-native plants and harmful weeds:

Ash Dieback

Ash dieback is a disease of ash trees caused by a leaf fungus spread by airborne spores and physical contact.

More information:

How do I know if I'm living in an ash dieback infected area?

As well as the link above, a map showing locations is available on the DEFRA website.

I have leaves from an infected tree / I live in an area where ash dieback has been found. What do I do?

  • Never put leaves from an infected tree in your green-lidded garden waste bin
  • Leave infected leaves where they fall
  • Burn the leaves
  • Bury affected leaves in your garden or compost them. Do not move this compost outside your garden
  • If none of the above are possible put infected leaves in a sealed bag. Put this bag in your black-lidded rubbish bin

What can I do to help slow down the spread of ash dieback?

Do not collect dead leaf litter from anywhere other than your garden. Spores can be transmitted via infected dead leaves and this could infect new areas.

Home composting resources

For more information on home composting and wormeries please visit our home composting page

Contact us

Online Enquiry Form

Waste Management Team
Tel: 01444-477440
Email: gardenwaste@midsussex.gov.uk

Last updated: 01 March 2024