MILLIONS of households across England are facing soaring bin collection fees, as councils increase charges by as much as 21%.
This month, residents have been hit with for green waste collection, with dozens of local authorities raising their annual fees.
Many charge households extra to collect their garden waste.
Usually residents pay an annual subscription, which covers the cost of collecting green bins every fortnight.
Councils often revise charges to keep up with rising expenses like , vehicle maintenance and staff wages, but this year's sharp hikes are hitting households harder than ever.
Some councils have pointed to increasing customer demand as another reason for the rising fees.
But deep dive into local authority budgets for 2025/26 reveals some are ramping fees up to £124 a year.
It’s not just bin collection costs piling on the pressure, though.
This month has been grimly dubbed “” as households grapple with a wave of surging .
Millions have already seen their bills jump by as much as 15.6% across , , and .
In , Bradford faced the steepest increase, with annual bills for a typical Band D property – from £1,701.86 to £1,871.88 – leaving families struggling to cope.
Adding to the pressure, several local authorities will begin to charge for green waste collection for the first time.
However, it's not all bad .
A small number of lucky households still live in areas where garden waste collection remains free – at least for now.
Want to know if your council is increasing garden waste fees?
Here’s what you need to know…
Which councils are hiking garden waste fees?
has combed through 100 local authority budgets for 2025/26 to uncover which councils are hiking garden waste collection fees the most.
Calderdale Council has imposed the steepest percentage hike, with fees soaring by 21.74%.
The £10 increase takes the annual charge to £56, up from £46 last year.
Meanwhile, East Hertfordshire residents have seen their garden waste collection fee jump from £49 to £59 in 2025/26 – a 20.41% rise.
Eastleigh Borough Council has also raised its fee by £10, increasing from £50 to £60, marking a 20% hike.
Additionally, and Malling Borough Council has upped its charge from £53 to £63, representing an 18.87% increase.
Nevertheless, East District Council tops our list of 100 as the priciest local authority for garden waste collection, with residents now paying £124 per year.
This marks a modest 3.33% increase compared to the previous year.
Bromley Council in greater will increase the cost to collect garden waste once a fortnight from £70 to £80 a year – a 14% increase.
Meanwhile, Charnwood Borough Council is pushing up its garden waste collection cost from £50 a year to £55 for residents who pay by direct debit.
This is a 10% increase.
Those who pay their bill with another method will be charged £60 a year – £5 more than last year.
In Epsom and Ewell the cost of new garden waste subscriptions and renewals will rise from £69.95 to £74.15 per bin each year – a 6% hike.
A handful of councils have opted for modest fee hikes, with Newark and District Council introducing the smallest increase of just £1 – a rise of 2.7%.
Residents in this area have seen garden waste collection charges increase from £37 to £38.
Meanwhile, the cost of having a green waste bin in the Dales will rise by £2 – from £56 to £58 this week.
This is a 3.5% increase on the previous year.
Which councils are introducing fees for the first time?
Three local authorities have introduced garden waste charges for the first time this April, a service that was previously free.
Chelmsford City Council has introduced a £60 annual fee, while Stockport Council followed closely with a £59 yearly charge.
Defending the decision in Chelmsford, council leader Stephen Robinson remarked: “This is a really difficult decision for us, but it's a lot easier than cutting services.”
Similarly, Stockport Council's deputy leader, Mark Roberts, justified the changes, stating they are necessary to save and safeguard “vital ” services, ensuring the continued operation of Stockport’s libraries and pools.
East Staffordshire Council has now established its annual charge at £40.
A spokesperson for the Local Government Association added: “Public satisfaction with local waste services remains very high.
“It should be for individual councils with their residents to decide how to carry out waste collections locally and whether the costs of providing green waste collection should be met by all taxpayers or just those that use the additional service.”
How do I know when my bin collection will be?
The date and time of your bin collection depends on your local council.
You can find out your rubbish collection day using the postcode searcher on the Government’s website.
The tool will tell you who your local council is.
You can then visit its website to find out when your bins will be collected and at what time you must put them out.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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