Brown Bins
Garden Waste Permits
Applications for 2025/26 will be available from 14 April 2025.
Permits cost £52.75 per household (up to two brown bins per household) and will be valid from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026.
If you would like the council to collect your garden waste from your home, you need to purchase and display a garden waste permit on your brown bin. 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.
Please try not to compact the material in your bin, this can result in your bin being half emptied on collection day. If your bin is not fully emptied due to the material being compacted, or frozen together in winter months, it is your responsibility to loosen the material ready for your next scheduled collection. No additional collection will be provided for half emptied bins.
Apply for a garden waste permit
Permits cost £52.75 per household (up to two brown bins per household). Permits take up to 21 days to arrive.
You cannot buy an additional brown bin permit if you have more than two brown bins. As per our Service Standards you can have up to 2 brown bins per household.
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 be aware 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. You can read the full Garden Waste Terms and Conditions in relation to the scheme.
Residents unable to apply online can call the Customer Service Centre on 01506 280000 (Option 3 then Option 1) for assistance.
Applications are currently closed, new applications will be accepted from 14 April 2025.
Replacement Permits
Replacement permits are marked as such and are issued should your permit be damaged, stolen or you require a new brown bin.
Apply for a replacement Garden Waste Permit
Cancellation of Permits
You have 14 days from the purchase of your permit to cancel it. This is called the "cooling-off" period. If you are within the 14 day period, please complete the Cancel your Permit form.
Once you have your permit
Attach your permit to the back of your brown bin, under the handles as shown in the short video.
We'll then start collecting your garden waste on your next brown bin collection date.
Your permit will be valid from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026.
If you do not purchase a garden waste permit, only food waste will be collected from 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.
Paying for your permit
If you are paying upfront for your permit, this will be charged at the point of purchase.
West Lothian Council Housing tenants can choose to pay in the same way as they pay their rent, using existing administrative arrangements. If you wish to make a payment towards your garden waste permit, you can do so on the Garden Waste Payments for Council Tenants page.
Frequently Asked Questions - Garden Waste Permits
A list of further Garden Waste Permits Frequently Asked Questions have been prepared in relation to the scheme.