Garden waste collection service: terms and conditions

These terms and conditions apply to the Renfrewshire Council garden waste collection service, provision of the Permit and online or telephone application processes which together form a contract between the Customer and the Council.

By applying for this Garden waste collection Service, you accept these terms and conditions including any Payment charges.

1. Definitions

The following definitions are used in these terms and conditions and for the Garden waste collection Service:

Brown bin means a 140-litre or 240-litre Brown bin used for garden and food waste.
Collection address means the residential address where the Customer presents their Brown bin with Sticker at the kerbside for collection by the Council.
Collection day means the day the Customer presents their Brown bin outside their address for collection by the Council.
Contamination means any items not defined as Garden waste or Food waste that are placed in the Brown bin for collection under this Service.
Council means Renfrewshire Council.
Customer means the person (applicant) eligible for the Garden waste collection Service and who has been provided with a Permit, whether the person has applied in person, or someone has applied on their behalf.
Exemption means a Customer who doesn't pay for the Service in accordance with the requirements stated in Section 10 below.
Food waste means Food waste items that can be put in a Brown bin for Garden waste or Food waste collection, as may be revised from time to time
Garden waste means Garden waste items that can be put in a Brown bin for Garden waste collection, as may be revised from time to time.
Payment means the cost for the Permit as noted in Section 8 below.
Permit means collectively both the confirmation notice and Sticker the Customer receives from the Council.
Personal Data means the information the Council need to collect about the Customer to allow them to sign up to and receive the Service.
Places of worship means development owned by a religious organisation used for worship and related religious, philanthropic, or social activities including rectories, manses, and accessory buildings. Typical uses include churches, chapels, mosques, temples, synagogues, parish halls, convents, and monasteries.
Section means the Sections listed in these terms and conditions which are for ease of reference only.
Service means the collection of Garden waste by the Council from a Brown bin(s) with a Sticker attached.
Sticker means an adhesive label provided by the Council with a unique number and the Collection address on it that visibly displays confirmation of the Permit and is attached to the Customer's Brown bin(s).

2. Service description

The Service is available, subject to Section 3 eligibility, to a Customer with a domestic property registered for Council Tax where the Council already provides or will provide a Brown bin Service.

Separately, the Service is also open to Places of worship, as defined above, in Renfrewshire where the Council already provides or will provide a Brown bin Service.

Following the application process in Section 9 below, where eligible a Customer, will be issued a Permit and Sticker for the Collection address.

The Customer must attach the Sticker to their Brown bin, as evidence of a Permit.

Where there is a Sticker on the Brown bin and a valid Permit is in place, the Council will collect the Garden waste on the specified Collection day.

If the Sticker is removed, the Customer can request a replacement Permit using the online form. The unique number for the missing Sticker will be cancelled and cannot be used after a replacement Permit with a bin Sticker has been issued.

For operational reasons, the Council reserves the right to change or amend the Collection day. The Council will notify any Customer in writing where there is a permanent change to the Collection day, in advance of the change being made.

The Service will not be operational during the two-week festive period (December/January). The dates for this festive period will be advertised on the Council website.

Customers can find the dates for their bin collection on their calendar or by checking the online bin collection calendar.

3. Eligibility

The Service is available to Customers with domestic properties or Places of worship. The Service is not available to other persons, companies, or commercial businesses.

To qualify the Customer and their property must be on a pre-existing Council Brown bin collection route. This information is available on their collection calendar which can accessed on the Council website or my emailing garden.waste@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

In addition, properties that are not assigned to a fortnightly food and Garden waste route are not eligible for this Service. Those excluded from this Service are properties on a weekly food waste route, difficult to Service route, sack collection and those with bulk bins.

The Service is only provided to the Collection address specified on the Customer's application and Permit. The Permit is not transferable from the Collection address.

Customers will need to apply for a free of charge replacement Permit if they move address in Renfrewshire to a property that is on a garden waste collection route, unless their new address has a Brown bin with a valid Permit for Garden waste collection from the previous occupant.

If you move to an address that is not on a Garden waste collection route you will not be issued with a replacement Permit.

4. Service period

The Service runs from 01 April 2024 to 30 April 2025.

Customers can make an application for the Service up until 13 December 2024.

There is no Payment discount, and the Cost is fixed irrespective of when the Customer applies for the Service.

Customers will need to re-apply from 1 March 2025 if they want to continue using the Service after 30 April 2025.

5. Brown bins and garden waste

Garden waste will only be collected from a Brown bin with Sticker.

Both Garden Waste and Food waste can be placed together in a Brown bin with a Sticker and do not need to sign up for Food waste collection.

The Customer remains responsible for the maintenance and cleanliness of their Brown bin(s).

The Customer remains responsible for the security of their Brown bin(s). If a Brown bin is stolen or damaged, the Customer can request a replacement bin by contacting Customer Services at 0300 300 0380.

Customers can also use the Council's Household Waste Recycling Centres to dispose of their domestic Garden waste free of charge.

6. Collection

The Customer must place their Brown bin with Sticker at the Collection address by 7am on the Collection day. If the Brown bin with Sticker at the Collection address is not presented by this time, the Council will not return to collect it until the next scheduled Service Collection day.

The Customer is responsible for positioning the Brown bin with Sticker at the Collection address, so it doesn't cause nuisance or obstruction to other pavement users on Collection day.

Garden waste or any other waste left on top, beside or near the any Brown bin will not be collected as part of this Service. Additional Brown bins and Permits can be purchased if required.

7. Contamination

Only Garden waste or Food waste must be placed in the Brown bin.

The Council will not empty a Brown bin eligible for this Service if it:

contains materials other than Food waste or items not included in the Garden waste collection Service
is overfilled or is judged by Council staff on Collection day as too heavy to empty
cannot be accessed due to bad weather, roadworks, and reasons outside the Council's control.

If there is repeated Contamination in Brown bins used for this Service, the Council reserves the right to withdraw the Service from the Collection address. The Customer will be notified of this decision in writing.

The Customer is not eligible for a refund of the Payment where the Service is withdrawn for reason of Contamination.

8. Cost

The Payment for the Service Period for each Brown bin is £40 unless certain Exemptions apply as noted in Section 10 below.

Eligible Customers can also sign up to Pay for the Service for additional Brown bin(s). Customers will need to apply for an additional Permit for each additional Brown bin. A Sticker will require to be attached to each additional Brown bin accepted for the Service.

If the Customer is exempt from Payment, they are entitled to one Permit free of charge. Additional Permits will be chargeable as noted above.

9. Application and payment

Applications for the Service can be made online, by phone on 0300 300 0380 or by paper application form available at local libraries.

Assistance can be found at local library or by calling 0300 300 0380 if you need help with applying for this Service.

Payment must be made at time of online and telephone applications and therefore can only be made by debit card or credit card. For posted applications, please attach a cheque made payable to Renfrewshire Council. For cash payments, you will need to visit Renfrewshire House in-person.

10. Exemptions from payment

There are certain Exemptions which mean some applicants do not have to pay for the initial Brown bin Permit provided for the Service.

The Exemptions are when the Collection address:

qualifies for a full (100%) Council Tax Reduction at the time they apply for the Service
is registered for a Council Tax discount or Exemption at the time they apply because someone at the Collection address has been classed as severely mentally impaired.

Collection addresses where the applicant would be exempt from Payment still need to apply for a Permit for the Service. Collection addresses that subsequently qualify for Exemption from Payment after making Payment for the Permit during the Service Period will not be eligible for a refund.

11. Cancellations and refunds

There is a 14-day cancellation period for the Contract which starts on the day after purchase of the Service. If cancellation is made during this time frame, a full refund will be provided. Thereafter, it can be cancelled at any time, but no refunds or part refunds will be given.

To exercise the right to cancel, Customers must inform the Council of your decision to cancel the contract by clear statement in writing. Please send your email addressed to garden.waste@renfrewshire.gov.uk or by post to Garden Waste Permits, Customer Service Centre, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1AN.

Should the Permit have been issued prior to the cancellation notice being received, it will be cancelled, and the Customer will be responsible for its disposal.

The Council will not give refunds or reduction in the Payment for the Customer failing to present the Brown bin with Sticker on the relevant Collection day.

The Council will not collect Garden waste from Brown bins displaying a Sticker where the Service has been cancelled or where the Service has been withdrawn by the Council due to repeat Contamination.

The Council will continue to collect Food waste from any Collection address with a Brown bin either after cancellation of the Service or suspension of the Service. However, the Council will not collect mixed Food waste and Garden waste without a live and valid Permit in place.

No refund will be available for any Collection day missed while the Service has been withdrawn, regardless of cause for removal of Service.

12. Data protection

To deliver this Service, we need to collect Customers' Personal data including the:

Customer's name
Collection address
billing address
Council tax reference number for the Collection address
email address
telephone number
Payment details.

We use this data:

for Customers to pay for the Service
to provide Customers with the Service
to manage and administer the Service
to contact Customers about changes to the Service
to contact Customers when their Service is to expire and to offer a renewal
to improve the design and performance of the Service
to investigate complaints
to manage the finances of the Service
to recover money Customers may owe us.

The Council's privacy policy sets what information we collect, how we collect it, what we do with it, who we share it with and why.

13. Complaints

We are committed to providing high quality services. If something goes wrong or you are not happy with the Service, please tell us.

Complete our online enquiry form or call us on 0300 300 0300.

Full details of our complaints procedure can be found at the above link.

14. Law and jurisdiction

The Council Garden Waste Collection Service including the Permit and these Terms and Conditions will be governed by the Law of Scotland and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Scottish Courts.

15. Changes to terms and conditions

The Council reserves the right to make amendments to these terms and conditions during the Service Period.

Any changes to the terms and conditions will be communicated by the Council to Customers on the Council website.

Garden waste collection service: terms and conditions

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