Garden Waste Terms and Conditions

Terms & Conditions for Chargeable Garden Waste Service 

1. The subscription period for the Garden Waste Service runs from the 1^st June - 31^st May in any year regardless as to when the customer subscribes to the service. No pro rata payments will be able to be accepted.
2. The Bin will remain the property of Torridge District Council and the Council reserves the right to issue refurbished Bins. Bins must not be permanently painted with any form of marking such as house number or change of colour.
3. Customers will be able to subscribe to an unlimited number of Wheelie Bins.The charge will be £55.00 per Bin.
4. Torridge District Council reserves the right to review the annual cost of the service and will set prices by the 31^st May in every given year.
5. The subscription sticker must be clearly displayed on the rear face of the wheelie bin underneath the handle as set out in the accompanying guidance. Bins without valid subscription labels will not be collected.
6. You will be responsible for the safe use of the Bin and Torridge District Council will accept no liability for injury due to 'improper use'.
7. Torridge District Council will replace Bins damaged during normal operations and stolen Bins. Requests to replace stolen Bins will need to be accompanied by a Crime Reference number.
8. If you move to another property during the subscription period you are able to take the Bin with you as long as you move to a property within the Torridge District. You must notify us of your move and we will then issue you with a new label.
9. The Garden Waste Service Subscription is non-refundable.
10. Six weeks ahead of the end of your subscription period we will send you a renewal notice. Your collections will cease from the start of the new service year if payment has not been made.
11. Customers leaving the Garden Waste Service and not renewing the subscription will be required to ensure their bins are emptied prior to returning the bin.
12. Please ensure that the Bin is left at the edge of the property, clearly visible from the road, at the edge of the public highway, or at a collection point agreed by a Supervisor, by no later than 7am on the scheduled day of collection and no earlier than 6pm on the day before. Where road closures deny access to properties only Wheelie Bins brought to the boundary of the road closure will be emptied. Bins not accessible due to road closures will only be serviced when access is made available.
13. Torridge District Council reserves the right to change the collection day, but will always notify customers in advance.
14. Torridge District Council's staff and vehicles must be able to be move and lift the Bin safely. The driver's decision in respect of the safe operation will be final, subject to review by a supervisor. The maximum permissible weight per bin is 100 kilos. Where access is restricted by poorly parked vehicles our crews will only collect Wheelie Bins that are not blocked in by vehicles. If roads are blocked by poorly parked vehicles the incident will be logged and our crew will not return until the next scheduled collection.
15. Please ensure that all materials placed in the Bin are accepted in this scheme, as indicated below.
    1. We accept "Compostable Waste" only - material that is suitable for open windrow composting including plant stems, leaves, stalks & windfall fruit. Compostable Waste must be free from any other form of contamination unless agreed in writing (e.g. synthetic twine).
    2. We accept "Green Waste" - botanical waste consisting of grass cuttings, hedge clippings, prunings, leaves (excluding street sweepings), wood chippings, dead plant material or roots.
    3. We accept real Christmas trees - the stumps must be no larger than 50mm in diameter and the trees must be placed out by registered customers next to their bin on their scheduled collection day.
    4. We cannot accept - food or kitchen waste (including vegetables from the garden, fruit and vegetable peelings or tea bags), genetically modified waste, turf, mud, stones, concrete, timber, animal waste, animal bedding or any other non-compostable garden items.
16. Torridge District Council will not empty a contaminated Bin. If the Bin is contaminated, customers should remove the material and present the Bin out on the next scheduled collection day.
17. Please ensure that all waste placed in the Bin is left loose and not contained in bags of any kind.
18. Please ensure that the lid of the Bin is closed. Any waste presented outside the Bin will not be collected (apart from Christmas trees)
19. Cleanliness of Green Wheelie Bins is the responsibility of customers. Any damage to Bins must be reported to the Council immediately.
20. Torridge District Council reserves the right to amend the acceptance criteria at any time.
21. Bank Holidays: Please refer to your collection calendar if you have one or the website for further details.
22. The service will be suspended from Monday 23rd December 2024 until Sunday 5th January 2025. Details will be advertised on the website.
23. During adverse weather conditions please check the website for updated collection information.
24. In freezing conditions Wheelie Bins will be emptied as thoroughly as possible, but Frozen Bin contents will be left in place if they are stuck to the inside of the bin. Our collection crew will not return until the next scheduled collection.
25. The Bin will not be emptied if any of the above conditions are not met. If for any other reason the Bin is not emptied, customers must notify us on 01237 428700 by 3pm on the next working weekday. After this time we will assume that the customer does not require a collection and the waste will be collected on the next scheduled day of collection, and not before.
26. Neither party shall be in breach of this agreement nor liable for delay in performing, or failure to perform, any of its obligations under this agreement if such delay or failure result from events, circumstances or causes beyond its reasonable control. In such circumstances the time for performance shall be extended by a period equivalent to the period during which performance of the obligation has been delayed or failed to be performed OR the affected party shall be entitled to a reasonable extension of the time for performing such obligations. If the period of delay or non-performance continues for eight weeks, the party not affected may terminate this agreement by giving 21 days' written notice to the affected party.