Garden waste collection

Part of: Food and garden waste

Contents

Subscriptions for 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2027 service period are now open.

To get your garden waste collected, you need to subscribe to our garden waste service and display a valid permit sticker. The service year runs from 1 June to 31 May the following year.

The annual cost is £50 per bin, regardless of size, for the 2026-27 service period. A £5 discount is applied when subscribing online. Additional bins are then £45 when purchased at the same time.

If you subscribe during the service year, you will need to pay the full charge. The best value option is to subscribe at the start of the service period.

Your green bin collection day will remain the same. Assisted collections will also continue if you subscribe to this service. Green bin collections will be suspended for one week over the Christmas period.

Please read our terms and conditions before signing up:

Subscribe to the garden waste service

Why we charge for collections

Although we have previously been able to provide this service without a charge, we are no longer able to do so. 

The charge is only for the garden waste element of the green bin collection service, and we will continue to collect food waste free of charge. 

It does not cover any costs for the treatment of the food and garden waste. The charge does not cover the full costs of collecting all of the green bins and caddies across Trafford.

By law, we cannot introduce charges for any of our other bin collections.

Paying for the service

You can subscribe to this service online or over the phone by calling One Trafford on 0333 003 5865. The line is open between 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

If you don't have internet access, you can use the public computers in any of our libraries to subscribe. Our library staff can help you register if you are unsure. Alternatively, friends or family can subscribe on your behalf. 

You must pay the annual charge in full before you can use the service.

Displaying your subscription permit

When you subscribe to the service, you will receive a subscription pack in the post, which includes your permit sticker. If you have subscribed for more than one bin, you will receive a permit sticker for each bin.

Permits will not be posted out until May to ensure they don’t get misplaced before the new subscription year starts. If you haven't received the permit by Friday 16 May, submit a request for a replacement.

Permits are printed and dispatched by a third-party company, so may take up to 10 working days to arrive. As soon as you receive your permit, attach it to your green bin, under the handles on the back, and collections will start.

Wait until you get your permit sticker before placing garden waste out for collection in your green bin. Green bins presented with garden waste and no permit sticker will not be collected.

If your permit sticker becomes lost or damaged, you can request a replacement.

Food waste collection

We still collect food waste free of charge, so continue to use your green bin or caddy.

If you have not subscribed to the garden waste collection service, we will not empty your green bin if it contains any garden waste.

Shared and communal bins

You can share a green bin with a neighbour. You will need to agree with your neighbour on who will purchase the permit. 

Ensure the bin you share has the permit sticker visible and is registered to the correct address.

If you live in a flat or apartment and have communal bins, speak to your landlord or management company about subscribing to the service.

Moving house

Subscriptions are not transferable and remain with the property that was originally subscribed to the service.

If you move out of Trafford, we are unable to provide a refund for unused months. The service will still be valid at the permitted address until the end of the subscription year, so it can be used by the new occupiers.

If you don't want to use this service

This is an optional service. You can also dispose of your garden waste by:

  • Composting it at home
  • Taking it to a recycling centre
  • Arranging a private collection

We will not remove your green bin. The bin needs to remain at your property in case you or future occupants want to opt into the service at a later date. 

You can still use your green bin to recycle your food waste for free.

Fallen leaves from council-owned trees

We understand that dealing with fallen leaves, seed pods, and branches can be frustrating, especially when they come from a tree that doesn’t belong to you. 

If you don’t want to subscribe to the garden waste service, these items can be composted or taken to a recycling centre for free. Find a recycling centre nearby.

Annually, we remove around 2,000 tonnes of leaves from the highway, and some of these leaves fall from trees located on private land. 

Fallen leaves are considered the responsibility of the property where they land, rather than the tree’s owner. This is echoed by the Royal Horticultural Society who explain that leaf fall is considered a natural seasonal event.

As such we are unable to provide free or discounted permits for leaves.

Don't sweep leaves or other natural debris onto the street, as this will be treated as a littering or fly-tipping offence.