Garden Waste Permits

• You need to purchase and display a garden waste permit on your brown bin if you would like your garden waste collected.
• If you do not have a garden waste permit displayed, only food waste should be placed in your brown bin.
• If garden waste is placed in your brown bin and you do not have a permit displayed, your bin will not be emptied

Permits cost £52.75 per household and will be valid from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026.  

You should apply for your permit by 9 May if you want to receive your permit by 1 June. You can still apply for a permit after this date, please note that the price will remain £52.75 and will still only be valid until 31 May regardless of when in the year the permit is purchased.

Thank you to all those who help to recycle household items and waste, such as garden waste. Last year, you contributed to the 12, 763 tonnes of brown bin waste that was collected for recycling.

Why are garden waste charges now common across Scotland?

• The collection of garden waste is not a statutory service, and with reducing budgets and increasing costs, Councils can no longer afford to operate this type of collection as a free service, which is why most Scottish councils have a garden waste collection fee
• To retain a garden waste collection service, it was therefore necessary to introduce a charge to contribute towards the cost of its provision. The garden waste permits generate income and 100% of that income is used to provide the garden waste service.  There is no obligation to make use of the chargeable service and residents can continue to dispose of garden waste free of charge at the Community Recycling Centres.

 You can purchase your garden waste permit here: https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/brownbins or by calling 01506 280000