THOUSANDS more Scots households are set to be forced to fork out cash to get their garden waste uplifted from this year.
The majority of the 32 local authorities have already introduced the charge as they faced funding black holes.
The majority of Scottish councils have introduced a charge for garden waste uplift[/caption]
The permit needs to be stuck onto the bins for them to be emptied[/caption]
It means that a permit must be purchased for garden waste bins from local councils if residents have garden waste to dispose.
If garden waste is placed in your bin and you do not have a permit displayed, it will not be emptied.
There are still a handful of areas where the charge hasn’t been introduced which includes North Ayrshire and Fife.
But a couple of other local authorities are introducing the new bin charges of up to £45 this year.
The amount paid for the permit is different for each council area.
Here is the full list of councils that charge or will introduce the charge for garden waste uplift:
Councils introducing the charge this year
North Lanarkshire Council
It was confirmed earlier this month that an annual charge of £40 to dispose of garden waste will be introduced from June 1.
Residents who want to continue using the kerbside garden waste service must purchase a permit for each brown bin containing garden waste.
South Lanarkshire Council
Residents across South Lanarkshire will now require a permit to have their garden waste uplifted.
The permits will come into force from April 1 this year, and a cost of £45 per bin will be required if residents wish to continue to have their garden waste collected.
Councils where the charge is already in place
Aberdeen City Council
From September 2024, garden waste has been emptied for free from one brown bin. No permit is needed for this bin.
A second or third brown bin for garden waste needs a permit for each additional bin.
Permits are available for £30 per additional bin. Households can present a maximum of three brown bins for garden waste collections.
Angus Council
Garden waste collection costs £50 per bin annually, with no discounts or exemptions.
Residents or commercial customers can subscribe anytime, and bins can be shared privately between neighbours, though one person must register and pay.
City of Edinburgh Council
Garden waste permits cost £40 annually (4 November–2 November) and must be registered via mygovscot or myaccount.
The service includes fortnightly collections, with eligibility for free permits if criteria are met.
Registration is only available during specific windows, and the service pauses for one month at Christmas.
What goes in the brown bin?
You can compost your food and garden waste in your brown bin.
You can place these food and garden waste items in your brown bin:
- flowers
- plants
- grass cuttings
- hedge trimmings
- leaves
- twigs
- small branches
- bark
- raw and cooked meat and fish including skin and bones
- raw and cooked fruit and vegetables including cores and peelings
- bread, cakes and pastries
- eggs including shells
- rice and pastas
- tea bags and coffee grounds
- pet food – wet and dry
Clackmannanshire Council
Garden waste permits cost £48 annually, expiring on 30 April regardless of purchase date.
Households can have up to two bins, and permits must be attached to bins for collection.
Council tenants have their costs covered through rent payments.
Dumfries and Galloway Council
Garden waste collection runs from March to November, costing £40 per bin annually (£20 for those on means-tested Council Tax Reduction).
Collections begin in March for those registered by 30 November, or June for later sign-ups.
Dundee City Council
Garden waste permits cost £47.50 annually, covering 20 fortnightly collections from March.
Bins must display a valid permit sticker, and early sign-up is advised to ensure timely receipt of permits.
East Ayrshire Council
Garden waste permits cost £40 annually, covering 10 four-weekly collections from March to December.
Permits are property-specific, valid for the calendar year, and must be renewed annually.
Recycling centres remain free for garden waste disposal.
East Dunbartonshire Council
The council charges £50 annually for garden waste collection in green bins, as agreed in December 2023.
East Lothian Council
Garden waste permits cost £35 for the 2024/25 collection period.
Registration is for the full year, with no refunds for cancellations.
East Renfrewshire Council
The 2024/25 garden waste collection scheme runs from 1 May to 30 April, costing £52.20 per permit.
Households can purchase additional permits if needed.
Falkirk Council
Garden waste permits cost £45 annually (1 May 2024–30 April 2025), with a 50% discount for eligible residents on means-tested Council Tax Reduction.
Each bin requires a permit, and bins without valid permits will not be emptied.
Glasgow City Council
Garden waste permits cost £50 per bin annually (1 October 2024–30 September 2025).
The fee applies regardless of purchase date, and no discounts or concessions are available.
Each bin must have a permit for collection.
Highland Council
The Garden Waste Collection season runs from September 1 to August 31 each year with a winter break in December, January and February.
You will need a permit to receive garden waste collections, the cost for 2024 to 2025 is £48.95.
Inverclyde Council
Seasonal garden waste permits cost £44.10 per bin for the March–November 2025 collection period.
Bins without valid permits will not be emptied. First collections begin on regular recycling days from 10 or 17 March.
How much does it cost in your area?[/caption]
Midlothian Council
Garden waste collection costs £42 per bin, with service resuming from 10 March 2025.
Bins require a valid sticker for collection, which may take up to four weeks to arrive after purchase.
Moray Council
The annual charge for garden waste permits for 2025-2026 is £52 per brown bin.
There is no maximum number of brown bins per property, but you must apply for a permit for each brown bin if it is being used for garden waste.
Garden waste will be collected if it’s placed in the brown bin, and the bin displays a valid permit.
Perth & Kinross Council
Householders who wish to recycle their garden waste in their brown bins must purchase a garden waste permit per bin.
Permits cost £45 per bin, for a maximum of two brown bins per property and are valid from April 1, 2025 until March 31, 2026.
Renfrewshire Council
Garden waste will only be collected from a brown bin with a sticker which costs £40 annually unless certain exemptions apply.
Stirling Council
Garden waste permits cost £50 per bin annually from April 15, 2024 until April 13, 2025.
If you buy a permit part of the way through a year, it will still expire on 13 April 2025 and will cost the same amount.
West Dunbartonshire Council
The permit was introduced last year and reduced to £26 due to implementation of the scheme part way through the year.
But from this year, a permit for the full year, which will be valid from April until November, will cost £60.
West Lothian Council
Permits cost £50 per household (up to two brown bins per household) and will be valid from 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025.
If garden waste is placed in your brown bin and you do not have a permit displayed, your bin will not be emptied.
