Westmorland and Furness Council is reminding residents that sign up remains open for its new subscription based garden waste collection service, which launched earlier this month.
Since the service began on 1 April, a growing number of residents across Westmorland and Furness have already chosen to subscribe to continue receiving garden waste collections. The Council is encouraging anyone who has not yet done so but would like their garden waste(s) bin collected to sign up.
Residents who wish to opt-in to the service can subscribe at a cost of £60 per bin per year, with the subscription window remaining open until 28 June. From 29 June, only bins displaying a valid subscription sticker will be emptied. General household waste and recycling collections are not affected.
Residents signing up for the first time and who do not currently have a garden waste bin will receive their first bin free of charge. Additional bins can be purchased for a one off fee of £25 each, and every bin – including the first – requires an annual subscription.
The quickest and easiest way to subscribe for garden waste collections is online through the council's website. Alternatively, residents without internet access can subscribe by calling 0300 373 3300.
Once a subscription has been completed, a sticker will be posted out for residents to attach to their bin. Bins without a valid sticker will not be collected after 28 June. Any additional bins ordered will be delivered after sign up is complete.
Councillor Giles Archibald, Cabinet Member for Climate, Biodiversity and Environmental Services, said:
“We know that a growing number of residents have already signed up, and we’re grateful to those who have taken the time to do so. We also recognise that some people may still be considering their options and this is a reminder for those residents who want to make sure their garden waste continues to be collected uninterrupted.
“We understand that introducing a charge has been a significant change. This decision was not taken lightly but it helps us protect the essential services that residents rely on most, at a time when local government continues to face substantial financial pressures.”
Garden waste collections will continue on a fortnightly basis from April to March, with a pause during December, January and February, when garden waste levels are typically at their lowest.
Garden waste collection is a discretionary service, and the introduction of a subscription, agreed as part of the Council’s 2026/27 budget at a meeting of Full Council on 26 February, ensures that those who use the service contribute to its cost.
For residents who choose not to subscribe, alternatives such as home composting and taking garden waste to a Household Waste Recycling Centre remain available.
The introduction of the garden waste subscription is the first phase of a wider programme to harmonise waste and recycling services across Westmorland and Furness. Further changes, agreed by Cabinet in September last year, will be communicated later this year.
