Sign up and Pay for Garden Waste PermitTerms and Conditions and Privacy Notice

Don’t forget to sign up for your 2023 Garden Waste Permit.

This permit will be valid for services between 1 January to 31 December 2023. If you are signing up or have signed up after 1 January 2023, your brown bin will be collected on the first scheduled collection day (the same day as your blue bin and bag) that occurs after the initial five working days following sign up.

This five day period enables checks and integration to take place. There could be up to a further five days before the permit is delivered but your information will be on the crew's computer system and they will empty your bin whilst you wait for the permit to arrive.

To prevent future service delays, early sign up is available from November each year for the following year’s service.

The brown bin is normally collected every two weeks on the same day as your blue bin (and bag) and should be put out for collection by 7am.

Check your bin collection days - There is also a downloadable pdf calendar available.

What can you put in the brown bin?

The annual charge for 2023 is £36 per brown bin. The £36 charge will apply at whichever point you sign up in the year and will expire on 31 December, there are no pro rata discounts or refunds given. Monthly payments or direct debit payments are not currently an option.

Additional brown bins will be charged at £36 each with a one-off charge of £25 if you require an additional brown bin to be delivered.

Each permit lasts for one year from 1 January to 31 December. You will need to re-subscribe each year to receive this service. If you have registered your email and/or mobile number with us you will receive a reminder notification towards the end of each year.

If you do not have an email address or mobile phone number registered with us, please visit this page from November each year to register for the following year or call 01785 619402.

Permits for each new year will be a different colour and will need to replace your old one on the bin. The collection crews will know which properties have subscribed via their in-cab devices.

Ensure that your permit is placed on the rear of your brown bin under the handles.

Planning on moving house

Moving within Stafford Borough - you can transfer your brown bin permit free of charge, just let us know the new address and the moving date by contacting 01785 619402 or info@staffordbc.gov.uk.

Moving outside of Stafford Borough - no refund will be available for any subscription that has been paid for that calendar year.

What to do with garden waste if not using the brown bin

Home Composting - we support a reduced cost home composting scheme - GetComposting | Composters and Water Butts.

Household Waste Recycling Centres - Recycling and Waste - Household Waste Recycling Centre (Tip) - garden waste can be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centres at St Albans Road, Stafford or Beacon Road, Stone.

Why we charge

Councils are not required by law to provide garden waste collections. The charge enables the service to be financially self sufficient and ensures that we can continue to provide the service rather than it being stopped.

We receive no income from the sale of the compost.

Sharing a bin

You can share the cost of the brown bin with a neighbour but you must decide who will be responsible for paying the charge and who will be responsible for putting the bin out to avoid a missed collection.

No longer wish to use the brown bin service

The subscription isn’t set for automatic renewal, if you don't wish to continue your subscription your current scheduled collection will stop on 31 December and you do not need to take any further action.

You can keep the brown bin for use around the garden or garage, we will not be removing unwanted brown bins as they are relevant to the property and need to be present should there be a change of occupier who may wish to subscribe to the service. 

The brown bins need to remain at properties in case of a future service change.

Your online account

If you have requested a password reset but have not received an email this could be because:

• you are not registered and will therefore need to register
• you do not have an email address registered on your account, or it is incorrect
• the online account is inactive (maybe it hasn’t been used for some months)

Email info@staffordbc.gov.uk with your name, address and email address and we will resolve the issue and send you a password reset link.