Sunderland garden waste collection 2023: How much is the brown bin charge, when does it start and how to sign up

Registrations for this year’s green waste scheme are now open - with residents facing a £34.50 charge to have their brown bins emptied, a rise of £1.50 on last year.

Anyone who wants their waste collected during 2023 should sign up before Tuesday, February 28, to guarantee all 17 of the fortnightly collections scheduled between March and November.

When collections start

This year, garden waste collections will start across Sunderland from Tuesday, March 28. Anyone who signs up after that date may not receive all the collections, but will still have to pay the full subscription fee of £34.50, with no discount available for a reduced number.

Garden waste collected from brown bins is transferred to a facility where its first shredded and then processed naturally into compost.

Council bosses say there are many benefits to recycling the city’s garden waste:

The composting process creates a valuable soil conditioner which is used for landscaping and gardening;

It reduces overall disposal costs while creating a valuable usable product;

It is a natural method of processing material which would otherwise be sent to waste;

It reduces the carbon impact and fuel costs from transporting the waste in your own car to the Household Waste and Recycling Centre.

How to sign up

Coun Claire Rowntree, is Deputy Leader of Sunderland City Council and Cabinet Member for Clean Green City: "Last year we saw nearly 30,000 households sign up for the garden waste collection service, so it is great to see how many of our residents care for our environment and make a real effort to recycle,” she said.

"While signing up for the collections is optional, it is very beneficial. These collections can help make the best use of the space available in your other bins and it’s a very cost-effective way to dispose of your garden waste."

To sign up and find out more information visit www.sunderland.gov.uk/gardenwaste

Use the ‘find my bin day’ service to check when to put your garden waste bin out for collection at www.sunderland.gov.uk/bindays

If you currently don't have a garden waste bin or you would like to order an additional garden waste bin, call 520 5550 or visit www.sunderland.gov.uk/gardenwaste