Garden waste
From 6 May 2024, we are introducing a charge for garden waste collections for street level properties with gardens. We will only collect your garden waste if you subscribe to the service.
On this page:
- Subscribe to our garden waste collection service
- Request removal of unwanted garden waste bin
- Check if you’re entitled to a collection and find out your collection day
- Report a missed collection
- Items you can and can’t recycle as garden waste
- Christmas trees
- Japanese knotweed
- Disposing compostable packaging
- What happens to your garden waste
- Other ways to recycle garden waste
- Burning garden waste
- Garden waste collection terms and conditions
The current fortnightly garden waste collection service will continue until Friday 3 May 2024.
From 6 May 2024 we will not collect any garden waste presented without a subscription.
This service is for street level properties (houses or houses converted into flats – generally households with their own bin).
Subscribe to our garden waste collection service
The first subscription period is from 6 May 2024 to 31 March 2025.
The subscription fee starts at £78.
We will collect garden waste fortnightly from subscribers throughout the year. If you buy a subscription later in the year, you will pay the same price for the full term because the price and expiry date are fixed.
From April 2025 the subscription will be a yearly fee. We will remind residents when and how to renew the subscription for next year in February and March 2025.
We are currently reviewing the options for collecting garden waste from households in estates. If you live in a flat on an estate but have your own garden, email recycling.team@hackney.gov.uk.
If you have communal gardens contact your managing agent or housing association. They’re responsible for the removal of garden waste.
Request removal of unwanted garden waste bin
We will remove any unwanted bins from properties that do not wish to subscribe to our garden waste collection service in due course. If you would like your bin removed sooner complete our online form:
Request removal of unwanted garden waste bin
Check if you’re entitled to a collection and find out your collection day
Use our postcode look up tool to find out what waste and recycling services your address should receive and your collection days.
Find your waste and recycling services
New waste and recycling collection days from 6 May 2024
Collection days for waste and recycling will change for some street-level properties from 6 May 2024.
Report a missed collection
If your garden waste bin or bag was not collected, leave it out and wait until 6pm on your collection day. We might come back and collect your bin before 6pm. If we do not, report the missed collection. We will then collect your rubbish within 48 hours.
You must report a missed collection within 2 days of your collection day. If not, we will collect your waste on your next collection day.
You can only report a missed collection for your scheduled collection day.
Items you can and can’t recycle as garden waste
Christmas trees
We include Christmas tree collections as part of the garden waste collection subscription service.
Japanese knotweed
You must not put Japanese knotweed in with your garden waste or general rubbish.
The government has guidance on treating and disposing of invasive plants. If you have Japanese knotweed or other invasive plants on your land you should contact a specialist contractor to remove and dispose of it properly.
Disposing compostable packaging
Compostable plastic is a material made from renewable materials such as vegetable starch and soy protein. Compostable plastic should be put into your general waste and not your food waste, garden waste or recycling. This is because in north London food waste is processed in anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities and mixed food and garden waste goes to in-vessel composting (IVC) facilities.
All packaging (compostable liners/Vegware/plastic bags/packing peanuts) is removed from food and garden waste by ‘de-packaging’ machinery and disposed of. This has to be done because non-compostable items are often put into the food/garden waste when they shouldn’t be, causing contamination. The de-packaging machinery we use is not currently able to distinguish between compostable and non-compostable packaging when removing contaminants.
What happens to your garden waste
We send garden waste from households in Hackney to an in-vessel composting plant in south east England to be turned into compost.
Other ways to recycle garden waste
The most environmentally-friendly alternative is to compost your green garden waste yourself. Composting is a natural process that transforms your waste into nutrient-rich soil. Garden waste can be home composted using a composter. See Reduce, reuse and repair – Composting and water butts.
You can also take garden waste to one of four reuse and recycling centres:
- Islington, 40 Hornsey Street, N7 8HU
- Walthamstow, South Access Road, E17 8AX
- Leyton, Gateway Road, E10 5BY
- Wood Green, Western Road, N22 6UG
For more information, see Reuse and Recycling Centres (tips or dumps).
Burning garden waste
Burning garden waste is not recommended in Hackney as the smoke may cause a nuisance or harm to health. You must also not dispose of waste in a way that is likely to cause pollution. We encourage people to compost their garden waste, but if this is not possible, choosing recycling and waste collection services is a safer and more environmentally friendly option.
Garden waste collection terms and conditions
See Garden waste collection terms and conditions (google doc).
Hackney Recycling
Address
Telephone
Opening times
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday – 9am to 5pm (telephone)
- Wednesday – 9am to 4pm (telephone)