How to sign up and information for subscribers
We recommend you sign up early, so we have enough time to send out your bin sticker before the changeover date. The easiest way to sign up for the Garden Waste Subscription Scheme is to complete an online form.
We are happy to accept applications from friends or relatives on behalf of those who need help completing an online form.
If you are unable to complete the form online and have no one to help you, you can contact us on 01245 615800.
After you have submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email. The transaction will appear on your bank or credit card statement as a payment to Chelmsford City Council.
Once we have received your payment, we will send a welcome pack, which will include a sticker to put on your garden waste bin.
We will collect your garden waste on a fortnightly basis, all year round. You can check your annual calendar or find your collection day online.
We reserve the right to change the collection day. We will try to give you as much notice as we can of any changes.
Your garden waste collection day will remain the same.
If you already have an assisted collection, then this arrangement will automatically transfer if you subscribe for garden waste collections. There is no need to contact us.
Replacement stickers
If you do not receive a garden waste sticker before the scheme starts, or you lose it, you need to contact us by calling 01245 615800 or by emailing Garden.Waste@chelmsford.gov.uk.
We will send a replacement sticker where it has been lost.
Broken bins
If you need a new brown bin as your current one is broken, you need to leave your damaged bin out for collection.
You should not order a replacement until you have had a collection and the bin is empty.
We will deliver the replacement as soon as possible, but delivery can take up to 10 days.
All bins issued have a capacity of 240 litres and may be new or refurbished. If the bin has been damaged in the process of collection and is still full, you need to call us to discuss on 01245 615800.
We will not collect any bins that are contaminated or are overflowing. We will also not collect any additional green waste that you place beside the bin.
If bin is contaminated, it is your responsibility to remove the contamination before the next collection. We will not offer an extra collection.
Our teams record when bins contain unacceptable items. Our system will not allow a missed bin to be raised in these cases.
You can find out what you can and can't put in the brown garden waste bin.
Sometimes, events outside of our control may stop us making collections. If we can't collect your brown bin due to such events, we collect your bin on your next scheduled collection. You will not be entitled to a refund.
You can only report a missed collection within 24 hours of your collection day. If your collection is on a Friday, you can report a missed collection on the following Monday. We may not be able to return on the same day, but we will collect your missed bin by the end of the following day. We do not make collections on Monday, so if your collection day is a Friday, our return visit will be on the following Tuesday.
You need to leave the bin out for re-collection at your usual collection point. The first line of your address and postcode will be printed on the sticker to make identification easier.
You cannot report a missed collection if:
- you used the wrong bin, box or sack for your items
- your bins do not have stickers attached
- you overfilled your bin, and the lid does not fully close
- you refilled your bin after it was collected on schedule
If you report repeated missed bins, we will monitor the situation to see if there are any service issues we need to address.
If we find there is abuse of the service (such as re-filling the bin after the crew has emptied it), we may cancel your subscription, with no refund.