A new £60 per bin subscription-based garden waste collection service is to be introduced across Westmorland and Furness from 1 April 2026.
Residents who wish to continue receiving garden waste collections, or wish to receive future collections, will need to subscribe to the service at a cost of £60 per bin per year. The subscription window will open on 1 April and close on 28 June, with only bins displaying a valid sticker collected from 29 June. General household waste and recycling collections remain unaffected.
This change follows decisions made as part of Westmorland and Furness Council's 2026/27 budget, agreed at Full Council on 26 February, and reflects the need to review discretionary services in light of significant financial challenges. Garden waste collection is not a statutory service, and introducing a charge ensures fairness with those who use the service contributing to its cost while helping the council protect essential services for all residents.
Councillor Giles Archibald, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Climate, Biodiversity and Environmental Services, said:
"We know this is a big change for some of our residents, and we understand it won't be popular. This was not a decision taken lightly but the council faces significant financial challenges, and the Government's Fair Funding Review means we will receive less government funding over the coming years. To protect vital services that everyone relies on, we've had to look carefully at discretionary services like garden waste collections."
From 1 April, the Council will issue clear guidance on how to subscribe to the garden waste collection. For those newly subscribing to the service, the first garden waste bin will be provided free of charge. Any additional garden waste bins can be supplied at a one-off cost of £25 per bin, and each bin – including the first – requires a subscription fee of £60.
Once payment is made, a sticker will be posted out to be attached to the bin. Without a sticker, garden waste will not be collected after 28 June. Any additional bins ordered will be delivered following completion of signing up to the service. Collections of garden waste will be made every two weeks and will run from April to March with no collections during the non-growing months of December, January and February.
Councillor Archibald, added:
"Councils are required by law to collect garden waste separately from other waste and recycling, and councils are allowed to levy an additional charge for the service. Around 65% of local authorities in England, including neighbouring Lancaster City and North Yorkshire Councils, already charge for garden waste collections as a non-essential, opt-in service. Not everyone needs or uses the garden waste service, and having a subscription charge means those who use the service help to pay for its running costs, while those who do not use the service do not pay for it. Delivering a free fortnightly green waste collection to every household would be costly, both financially and environmentally, requiring more vehicles, more fuel, and more carbon emissions."
The decision also builds on changes agreed in September last year at a meeting of Cabinet where councillors approved new harmonised waste and recycling arrangements for the whole of Westmorland and Furness. These included the roll-out of an in-house waste and recycling collection service, fortnightly residual waste collections using a 240-litre wheelie bin, and fortnightly recycling collections using two 180-litre wheelie bins - one for plastics, cans and glass, and one for card and paper. Bespoke service arrangements will be considered for residents who cannot adopt wheelie bins.
The introduction of the new garden waste subscription service marks the first phase of this wider harmonisation programme. Further information on the upcoming changes to residual waste and recycling collections will be provided later this year as the harmonised service continues to be rolled out across Westmorland and Furness.
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