Garden Waste Scheme Terms and Conditions

Garden Waste Collection Service

Service Standards, Terms and Conditions

The following areas define the expectations and limitations of the Garden Waste Collection Service. You are accepting these terms of service when you pay.

This page covers the following areas:

1. Service description

2. Service eligibility

3. Application process/payment and New Builds

4. Refunds

5. Garden waste bins

6. Collection days

7. Presenting garden waste bins

8. Assisted collections (Help to put your bin out)

9. Missed garden waste bins

10. Weather Incidents

11. Moving house

12. What can be put in a garden waste bin? Acceptable material, contamination and overweight garden waste bins

13. Your right to cancel the service

14. Statutory rights

15. Data protection statement

1. Service description

The Garden Waste Collection Service runs from spring to autumn and is chargeable at £43 per bin in advance of the service starting.

The Council will carry out a maximum of 20 garden waste collections per household during this period, within a calendar year.

The later you sign up, the fewer collections you will receive. A sticker and a 240 litre garden waste bin will be provided (if there is not already one present) which will be emptied by the Council once every two weeks, on the days specified.

If the bin is lost, stolen or damaged there is a £25 charge for a replacement with no exceptions.

2. Service eligibility

Subject to the following criteria, the Council will offer its Garden Waste Collection Service to properties where it is viable to do so within current resources.

Eligible criteria:

• Each collection area/property must be easily accessible by a 26 tonne refuse collection vehicle. This includes being able to empty bins and manoeuvre the collection vehicle (turn around) easily and safely
• The garden waste bin must be stored within the boundaries of the property, and clearly identified as being from that property
• New properties/estates will be offered the service if the above points apply.

It should be noted that the above eligibility criteria apply to all properties, including those properties that require an assisted collection.

3. Application process/payment and New Builds

1. Residents will be required to pay for the garden waste collection service on an annual basis.
2. The Council reserves the right to refuse an application for the Garden Waste

Collection Service based on the criteria for the scheme as described in section 2.

3. The payment for the collection service will be £43 per year, per bin.
4. The council can accept payment by debit card or credit card only.
5. If you are in a new build property you will need to contact us to generate a garden waste reference number in order to make payment. This process can take up to 2 weeks depending on new build system updates.
6. Following payments made between January and August, the Council will issue Garden Waste Collection Scheme stickers and calendars within 2 to 4 weeks
7. Where applicable garden waste bins will be delivered on a specific date to be provided at the time the order is placed (Exemptions to this policy apply during inclement weather, in cases of operational difficulty or any event of ‘Force Majeure’).
8. The Council reserves the right to vary the fee for this service or change the number of collections provided. Appropriate notice will be given prior to any alteration.
9. The Council has a duty to keep records up to date so therefore requires customers to notify us of any relevant changes to their personal details.

4. Refunds

1. Except where cancelled in accordance with section 13 of these service standards, no refunds will be provided for cancellation of the service.
2. Where the service is cancelled by the Council due to misuse of the service or the garden waste bins for that property, no refund will be made.
3. There are no refunds of all or part fees for missed collections.
4. There are no refunds if you move out of the area.
5. There are no refunds or payment transfers if you move within the area.
6. There are no refunds in the event of prolonged bad weather

5. Garden waste bins

1. The garden waste bin(s) is provided for use by the household(s) at the registered property but remains the property of the Council. There is no limit to the number of garden waste bins that can be supplied per property. Residents should clearly mark the bins with their house number or house name.
2. Only garden waste bins supplied by the Council, will be emptied. Garden waste presented in any other container will not be collected. All waste must be in the bin.
3. Requests for replacement garden waste bins will cost £25 and they will be delivered on a specific date to be provided at the time the order is placed and paid for. *(Except in the event of ‘Force Majeure’).
4. If the bin is damaged or broken during collection, as long as the bin is clearly identified, the crews will order a replacement for you and put a card through your door advising of this. There will be no charge in this instance.
5. The Council may supply reconditioned garden waste bins. The householder is responsible for the general condition and cleaning of the garden waste bin whilst it is in their possession.
6. The Council will accept no liability for garden waste bins used for any other purpose other than for the collection of garden waste. Misused garden waste bins may be removed and a fee may be payable for their return or replacement.
7. The Council reserves the right to remove all garden waste bins that are not used for the Garden Waste Collection Service or if there is evidence of misuse.
8. On receipt of payment for the service, the Council will issue each property with a garden waste bin sticker. Stickers issued by the Council for the Garden Waste Service must be placed on the back of the bin below the handles and are the responsibility of the householder.
9. No service will be provided for garden waste bins not recorded on the Council’s waste management systems and/or not displaying a garden waste sticker for the corresponding year.
10. If the contents of a garden waste bin are compacted too densely it is unable to be emptied by the bin crew. The householder will then be required to loosen it enough that it can be emptied on the next scheduled collection day. Crews will not empty compacted bins, clean them, or return to empty a half-emptied, compacted bin.

6. Collection days

1. Garden waste will be collected once every two weeks on a day specified by the Council.
2. The Council reserves the right to alter the collection day, and will publicise any changes to subscribers via our website and social media channels.
3. The service operates from Tuesday to Friday. Subscribers will be issued with collection details prior to the service starting. This will include the scheduled dates for collection of the garden waste and any relevant bank holiday changes.
4. The Council reserves the right to alter the dates of the collection season or collection days. Appropriate notice will be given prior to any alteration.

7. Presenting garden waste bins

1. Garden waste bin(s) must be presented at the kerbside on the boundary of the property by 6.30am on the day of collection, with the handles and sticker side facing out. The garden waste bin(s) are to be placed at the same point as the green household and blue recycling bins for collection on their respective day of collection.
2. All garden waste bins must be clearly visible and accessible from the road without any obstructions, and away from hedges and walls, and not behind parked vehicles.
3. After emptying, the garden waste bins will be returned to the pick-up point or as close as practicably possible. It is the resident’s responsibility to ensure that the garden waste bins are brought back on to their property the same day.

8. Assisted lifts (Help to put your bin out)

An assisted lift service is available upon request for eligible households. If you already receive assisted lifts for your domestic and/or recycling bins, you will be eligible for an assisted lift for your garden waste bin.  This will automatically be arranged for you when you subscribe.

9. Missed garden waste bins

If you want to report a missed garden waste collection, please contact us the day after your collection was missed. Before contacting us to report a missed collection, please ensure:

• The correct bin was put out for collection.

• The bin was at the kerbside or the designated collection point by 6.30am.

• The bin was not too heavy to be lifted by the collection crew.

• The correct items were in the bin.

• The waste in the bin is not too squashed or compacted. It must be able to freely tip out into the truck.

If our records show:

• A street has been serviced by our collection vehicle then the bin will be collected at the next scheduled collection,
• An assisted lift has been missed it will be collected within three working days,
• A Street has been missed then that street’s garden waste bins will be collected within three working days. A Street could be missed for a variety of reasons such as inaccessibility due to parked cars or road works.

Where householders do not present their garden waste bin for collection in accordance with Council requirements, the householder will have the following options:

1. Take the waste to a Household Waste Recycling Centre,
2. Book a bulky collection,
3. Store the waste until the next collection day.

All garden waste must be presented safely and suitably in the bin provided on the next scheduled collection day. You can check your collection status on our online forms.

10. Weather Incidents

1.  During incidents of prolonged bad weather, which may include heavy snowfall, rain, prolonged ice or high winds, collections may be disrupted.
2.  There are no refunds in the event of prolonged bad weather and collections delayed or missed due to this.
3.  The Council reserves the right to suspend collections during bad weather incidents and catch up collections may not always be possible.

11. Moving house

1. The scheme relates to a collection service from a specified property or household. The service is not transferable either within or outside of Newcastle. The payment is for the collection service at the named property.
2. If you move home, please leave the garden waste bin at the original property.
3. There is no refund if you move out of the area, or if you move to a new property within the area.
4. The Council has a duty to keep its’ records up to date and therefore we require customers to notify us of any relevant changes.
5. You need to advise the garden waste team of any moves and cancellation requests.  Informing other council departments such as as council tax or using the Tell Us Once service, does not mean any garden waste service will be contacted.

11. What can be put in a garden waste bin? Acceptable material, contamination and overweight garden waste bins

1. We only accept loose garden waste placed in the garden waste bin. Garden waste includes grass cuttings, weeds, dead flowers, small tree branches, loose leaves, shrub and hedge trimmings. The garden waste must not be placed in plastic bags or any other sort of packaging as this affects the treatment process and contaminates the resultant compost.
2. Branches, logs or roots more than 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter and Japanese Knotweed must not be placed in your garden waste bin.
3. We will not collect: food waste; turf or soil (small amounts attached to roots are acceptable); stones, gravel, bricks, paving or fencing; cat litter; dog faeces; plant pots or seed trays; compost bags or black bags; sawdust or hay bedding from small pets
4. Contaminated garden waste bins (i.e. bins containing incorrect materials as identified above) will not be emptied. If the bin is contaminated it is your responsibility to remove the item(s) of contamination prior to the next collection. If the contamination continues, the Council may remove the bin without refund.
5. Garden waste bins that are overflowing or overweight will not be emptied. This may be that the crews are either not able to move the garden waste bin or the vehicle is not able to lift the bin to empty it. If the bin is too full or overweight, it is the householder’s responsibility to remove the item(s) prior to the next collection. If the householder fails to do so we may remove the bin without refund.
6. Crews will make a digital report on their in-cab systems regarding contaminated bins and bins that are too heavy. This will show on the missed bin reporting systems. Crews will not return to empty contaminated or overweight bins.
7. The bin lid must be fully closed when presented for collection.
8. No side waste will be collected i.e. no additional waste next to the bin or balanced on the lid. All waste must be inside the bin, loose and not in any kind of bag or container.

12. Cancelling the Service

1. You have 14 working days from the date of payment to cancel the service if you have not already received a collection.

Requests to cancel the service can be made using the following methods:

• Phone: 0191 278 7878 and ask for 'garden waste'.
• Email: gardenwaste@newcastle.gov.uk. Please provide your postal address and if possible your garden waste reference number when contacting us by email.

Your details will be retained for marketing purposes for the Council’s waste related services for one year should you subscribe to the service and subsequently cancel.

• It is your responsibility to cancel the service if your circumstances change. We will not be able to refund customers in the event of forgetting to cancel the service.

13. Statutory rights

These terms and conditions of the Garden Waste Collection Service do not affect your statutory rights.

14. Data protection statement

We collection information about you when you subscribe to this service.  The information collected is detailed below and will only be used in connection with your waste and recycling services:

• Name
• Property address
• Email address
• Telephone number

How we will use this information

When you subscribe to the service, we collect information about you to allow us to provide the service, to allow us to contact you in relation to the renewal of your current subscription and to provide any necessary service updates.

Marketing

Your personal details will not be passed to any other organisation or third party. We may contact you to participate in customer satisfaction surveys.

*Exemptions to this policy apply during the initial scheme rollout, during inclement weather, in cases of operational difficulty or any event of ‘Force Majeure’.

For the purposes of these terms and conditions “Force Majeure” means an event or circumstance which is beyond the reasonable control of the Council and shall include war, civil war, armed conflict or terrorism, strikes, lockouts or other industrial actions, riot, fire, flood and earthquake.