Renfrewshire Council

Recycle your garden waste instead of putting it in your general waste bin. This allows us to take it to a composting plant, where it can become a valuable resource for commercial and residential fertiliser.

How to recycle your garden waste

If you'd like us to collect your garden waste from your home, you need to pay for a garden waste permit.

Apply for a garden waste permit

A permit costs £40 per brown bin.

You can buy an additional brown bin if you need more than one. If you buy an additional brown bin, then you must buy an additional permit for it if you plan to use it for garden waste.

All garden waste permits for the 2023 to 2024 year expired on 31 March 2024.

If you'd like us to collect your garden waste from your home from 1 April 2024, you need to pay for a new permit.

The last day to apply for a permit is 13 December 2024. After this date, we'll stop accepting applications for new garden waste permits until spring 2025.

Apply for a garden waste permit.

Once you have your permit

Permits will take up to 15 working days to arrive.

Attach your permit to your brown bin, under the handles. Remember to remove your old permit, if you have one.

We'll then start collecting your garden waste on your next brown bin collection day.

Your permit will be valid from 1 April 2024 to 30 April 2025. All permits will expire on 30 April 2025, regardless of when you bought it.

Other options

Alternatively, you could:

• bag your garden waste and bring it to one of our household waste recycling centres for free
• order a bulky waste collection if you have lots of garden waste
• use your garden waste for home composting (Recycle Now's website).

More information about garden waste permits

If you need a replacement permit

You'll need to request a free replacement permit if:

• you're moving house within Renfrewshire
• your permit has gone missing
• your permit has become worn or damaged.

Request a replacement garden waste permit.

If you share a brown bin

If you share a brown bin with a neighbour, you can share the cost of a permit. You'll need to arrange this between yourselves, with just one of you applying for the permit.

If you receive council tax reduction

If you receive full (100%) or severe mental impairment (SMI) council tax reduction, you can get one free permit. You'll need to apply for the permit and select the council tax reduction option.

If you're on our garden assistance scheme

If you're on our garden assistance scheme, you do not need to apply for a permit. There is no change to our grass and hedge cutting service for people on this scheme, and we'll continue to remove your garden waste as usual.

If you paid someone to do your gardening

If you paid someone to do your gardening, such as a gardener or landscaper, you cannot put this garden waste in your brown bin or bring it to our household waste recycling centres.

The person who did the work is legally responsible for removing this waste from your site as part of their service to you.

Get help with your permit application

If you need help with your application:

• phone 0300 300 0380
• email garden.waste@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

Terms and conditions

Check the terms and conditions for our garden waste collection service for more information.

What goes in your brown bin

Once you have a garden waste permit, these garden waste items can go in your brown bin:

• grass cuttings
• leaves and twigs
• branches and twigs (small enough to fit in the bin with the lid closed)
• hedge clippings
• plants.

Do not put these items in your brown bin:

• rubble and soil
• pet waste and bedding
• plant pots
• wood and fencing
• timber or logs
• garden furniture
• stones, gravel, or concrete (including DIY waste, such as plasterboard).

Find out more about what goes in your bins and rubbish sacks.