Every household is entitled to a 240-litre garden waste bin for garden waste only. 

This service is free and collections happen every two weeks. 

If you would like an additional green bin please contact us.

Separating our garden and food waste collections means there is less demand for green bin collections over winter months. To enable our crews to focus on collecting the extra recycling generated over Christmas we are suspending our garden waste collections for six weeks between 7 December 2026 and 16 January 2027.

Use our collection day calendar to find out your next collection day

What we collect

Your garden waste bin can only be used for garden waste, like grass clippings, leaves and small branches. This will be collected for composting. All food waste should be placed inside your food caddy.

Yes please:

• grass and hedge cuttings
• leaves and cut flowers 
• dead plants and weeds 
• small branches
• fruit and vegetables from the garden only (such as windfalls or vegetable plants when the season has finished)
• natural bedding from herbivorous pets including straw, hay and sawdust

No thanks:

• food waste 
• cardboard 
• shredded paper
• flowerpots
• stones or rubble
• soil and turf
• poisonous weeds, diseased plants and invasive species like Japanese Knotweed
• large branches
• treated wood 
• general waste
• non-herbivorous pet waste
• plastic bags
• any food packaging
• biodegradable / compostable 'plastic' bags or brown paper bags

The lists above are not exhaustive, so if you are not sure whether an item is suitable, please see our waste and recycling look up:

Waste and recycling look up

Find out more about

Additional garden waste bins

Please note for safety and hygiene reasons, garden waste must always be contained within an East Cambridgeshire District Council green or brown lidded bin, or brown bags if you receive our alternative service.

You can now request an extra garden waste bin for free. 

This service is for domestic household waste only, commercial waste must be disposed of through a paid-for collection service.

Request an additional garden waste bin

Why we can't collect food waste in the green bin

From 1 June 2026, your garden waste bin will only be used for garden waste, like grass clippings, leaves and small branches. This will be collected for composting.

Previously this mixed food and garden waste was sent for In Vessel Composting (IVC). This is both expensive and no longer the best way of handling food waste. Instead, we now send your food waste to an anaerobic digester.   This facility works just like our own digestive system.  

Anaerobic digestion is a natural process where microorganisms break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen, producing biogas (a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide) and bio-fertiliser. The biogas can be used for heat and electricity generation, while the bio-fertiliser can be used as a nutrient-rich addition to nearby farmers’ fields. 

Your garden waste now goes for traditional open composting. That’s why it’s important not to put food waste in the garden bin.

Annual pause of the garden waste collection service

Separating our garden and food waste collections means there is less demand for green bin collections over winter months. This is because:

• less garden waste is produced as gardens aren’t growing
• food waste now goes in your caddy, leaving little for the green bin / brown bags

To reflect this our free garden waste collection service will be suspended for six weeks between 7 December 2026 and 16 January 2027. This will allow our collection crews to assist in other areas during the busy Christmas and New Year period.

If you have done a lot of winter pruning and can’t wait for collections to resume, you can take your garden waste to the Recycling Centre at any time.

Check the online collection calendar each year for exact dates of the winter pause.

Remember the following:

• your bin must be ready for collection by 6.30am on your collection day and not before 6pm on the evening before
• your bin must be on the property boundary closest to the road and must be clearly visible to the collection crew
• if your property is accessed by a private track or road, your collection point will be where this meets the public highway
• materials will only be collected if they are presented in the correct container, we do not collect extra garden waste
• wheeled bins remain the property of East Cambridgeshire District Council and must be left at your property if you move out