Households in the Waverley council area in Surrey pay the highest garden waste collection charges in Britain, with annual costs reaching up to £136.70, according to research by private waste firm Divert Waste. East Hampshire follows at £130, and Kingston upon Thames at £104, making these the three most expensive council areas for garden waste disposal.
Waverley’s disputed charge
Waverley Council, covering Godalming, Farnham and Haslemere, disputed the £136.70 figure reported by Divert. A spokesperson told This is Money that the annual charge is actually £87.60, with the extra £49.10 applying only in years when a new garden waste bin is needed. The council’s service provides fortnightly collections.
Kingston upon Thames charges £104 annually, but this includes a £24 bin cost and a £20 administration fee. Additional bins cost an extra £10 each. Other high-charging councils include Barnet at £103.80 and Brighton and Hove at £102.
Cheapest options and per-bag systems
Finding the cheapest garden waste service is not straightforward as councils use different pricing models. Ceredigion County Council in Wales charges just £2.30 per bag collected fortnightly, while Caerphilly charges £4.10 per sack. Divert noted: “These lower costs show why it is important to look beyond headline prices. A per-bag charge may suit households with small gardens, but could become less practical for those producing larger volumes of grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, branches, or seasonal garden waste.”
Bury Borough Council in England has the lowest annual-style charge at £17.50, deliberately set low to encourage recycling. Northern Ireland recorded the lowest average cost at £5.34, as many councils include garden waste in existing kerbside collections.
Free garden waste services
Divert’s research found 46 councils offer some form of free garden waste service, though conditions vary. Doncaster Council provides free collections unless residents need more than one bin, with the first additional bin costing £47.50 a year. Hull City Council offers free collections even for extra bins.
John Verity, managing director at Divert, said: “Garden waste collection charges have become a real postcode lottery for residents across the UK, as in some areas, households can have their garden waste collected kerbside, whereas others require a separate subscription to be taken out.” He added that households with small gardens might find home composting or sharing a bin with a neighbour more cost-effective, but warned that waste from business activities or commercial gardeners must be handled by licensed carriers.
Regional disparities
The South East of England recorded the highest average garden waste charge at £72.14, followed by London at £68.09 and the South West at £66.78. Only 3 per cent of councils in the South East offer a free service, despite the region having the highest costs. Since March 1, councils in England are required to provide separate collections for food and garden waste, paper and card, other dry recyclables, and non-recyclable waste, aiming to boost recycling rates and reduce service variation.
