Content

Green Waste Collection Service

Agreement

This agreement is made between the resident (‘the customer’) and East Devon District Council (‘the Council’) of East Devon District Council, Blackdown House, Border Road, Heathpark Industrial Estate, Honiton, EX14 1EJ, and sets out the terms and conditions under which the customer may use the Council’s fortnightly collection garden waste service.

Definitions

In these Terms and Conditions, unless the context otherwise requires:

Council: East Devon District Council, We, our, us, our agents and contractors

Customer: the resident receiving the green waste service at their property. Where two or more households use the Green Bin, the person who is the registered customer will be bound by these Terms and Conditions and will be liable for the acts or omissions of any other person using the Green Bin or sharing the service

The Service: the Green Waste Service as set out in these Terms and Conditions

Service Period: means the green waste collection service we provide and which commences for rolling period of 12 months from the Customer’s Service Start Date

Fee: the fee you pay to us for the Service during the Service Period.

Collection Date: means the day on which the Green Bin(s) are emptied usually on a fortnightly basis, or as otherwise specified in these Terms and Conditions or as notified by us from time to time.

Green Bin: means the 240 litre wheeled green bin to be provided by us.

Collection Point: means the point where we will collect your Green Bin for emptying.

Service Start Date: The start date of your Service will be the date you pay your Fee as a new Customer for the Service.

Renewals: this will be the anniversary of the Customer’s original Service Start Date.

Website: means our green waste collection service webpages at https://www.eastdevon.gov.uk/green

Green Waste: means grass cuttings, leaves, weeds, hedge trimmings, plant pruning’s, twigs and small branches (no larger than 10cm in diameter) or as advised by the Council. See acceptable materials below.

Prohibited Items: means soil, food, fruit and vegetables including windfall apples, pet bedding, plant pots, cardboard, paper, plastic, invasive weeds (such as Japanese Knotweed or Himalayan Balsam) or Green Waste with signs of Ash Dieback Disease or as advised by the Council (for more information please see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prevent-the-spread-of-harmful-invasive-and-non-native-plants.

Green waste bins must never be used for household refuse or recycling.

Service description

  1. The Service runs from the customer’s service start date for a rolling period of 12 months.
  2. The Service operates for 11 months of the 12 month Service Period with the Council collecting green waste fortnightly throughout the Service Period, except for two consecutive collections during the Christmas and New Year period. This will result in a six week gap in between collections.
  3. If you order an extra bin part way through your service period, the fee end date for the extra bin will be the same as the original bin. We do not offer a reduced price for the second or third bin. If you renew the service the fee start date will be the same for all of your bins.
  4. The Council reserves the right not to provide the service to a property if travelling distances or accessibility are prohibitive.

Charges

  1. The green waste collection scheme is a chargeable service with an annual subscription payable when you register.
  2. The Fee is subject to a price increase each year at the discretion of and as advised by the Council.
  3. Current prices are detailed on our website at https://www.eastdevon.gov.uk/green or you can call customer services on 01395 571515 for up to date pricing information.
  4. Once you have signed up for and paid for the Service you have committed yourself to 12 months of collections. If you choose to cancel the Service part way through your Service Period no refund will be offered. The exception is that residents have a 14 day cooling off period which commences 24 hours after the date the Fee payment is made.
  5. If you order an extra bin part way through the Service Period you will need to pay a full Fee for the extra bin regardless of how long is left on the Service Period of your first bin. The Service Period of the extra bin will be aligned to the first bin. It will automatically have the same Service Period end date and renewal date as the first bin.
  6. Fee renewals must be made within 30 calendar days of the Service Period end date or the Service will be cancelled. If you allow your Service Period to expire but wish to retain the service, there may be an administration charge to return the wheeled bin(s) if they have been removed. 

Refunds

  1. There are no refunds provided for a cancellation of the Service part way through the Service Period. The only exception being cancellations made within 14 days of paying your fee in each rolling 12 month Service Period.
  2. If there is evidence of misuse of the Service by the resident, then the Service may be cancelled. There will be no refund in these circumstances.
  3. If a bin is presented correctly and has been missed by the collection crew, a replacement collection will be provided. There are no refunds for all or part fees for missed collections.

The Green Waste Bin(s)

  1. Customers must use their green wheeled bins for the collection of green waste. The bins will contain microchips which will enable the Council to manage the Fee payments and to identify wheeled bin ownership in the event of any queries.
  2. Green waste bins remain the property of East Devon District Council.
  3. Customers can have up to three green waste wheeled bins emptied per property, with each bin requiring a separate full Fee. If you request additional bin(s) midway through your subscription period, we will aim to deliver the bin(s) within 10 working days from the payment of the Fee for the Service. If you request additional bin(s) at the point of renewal we will aim to deliver the bin(s) within 10 working days of the subscription start date. Please note there can be delays during busy periods. We may provide more than three bins in exceptional circumstances - this will be at the discretion of the Council.
  4. Only bins provided by the Council will be emptied. Green waste presented in any other container will not be collected.
  5. Your green waste bin(s) must be used for green waste from your property. Commercial waste is excluded from the Service provided under this agreement.
  6. If your bin becomes damaged we will replace it, free of charge, as soon as is reasonably practical. If the bin is damaged through neglect or misuse, the cost of replacement may be recharged to you. If your bin is damaged please call customer services on 01395 571515 or visit our contact us page.

Collection Days

  1. We collect green waste fortnightly, on a specified collection day unless factors outside of our control stop us, such as very bad weather. If this occurs we will endeavour to collect it within two working days.
  2. Collection days may change in a week in which a Bank or Public Holiday occurs.
  3. For operational reasons your specified collection day may change – we will notify you of any changes and will endeavour to keep changes to a minimum.

Presenting Bins

  1. Unless we tell you otherwise, the Collection Point will be on the kerbside near the edge of your property where it meets the public highway.
  2. All green waste bins must be presented at the boundary of the Customer’s property or at the agreed collection point by 06.00 a.m. on the day of collection. If the green waste bin is not presented by this time, the crew will not be able to collect it until the next scheduled collection day.
  3. Bins that are overflowing or too heavy for the crew to safely handle will not be collected. Operatives must be able to manoeuvre all containers with due regard to health and safety. All bins must be closed for health & safety reasons and to prevent spillages.

No side waste will be collected, i.e. no extra waste left next to the bin (s) or placed on the lid (s).

Assisted collections

  1. An assisted collection service is available for those residents who are already eligible for an assisted refuse and recycling collection.

Missed bins

  1. Customer should not report their bin(s) as having been missed until the following day as collections can be made up until 5pm.
  2. On any occasion when the Council will not be able to collect the bin(s) due to circumstances which are outside the control of the collection crew (e.g. road works, no access to roads, severe weather conditions etc.) The crew will endeavour to return within two working days to complete the collection.
  3. If a bin is presented correctly and subsequently missed by the collection crew, we will return to collect it within two working days once it has been reported to us.
  4. Where green waste has not been presented correctly on time, we will not be able to return to collect it until your next scheduled collection.

Moving House

If you are moving house you will need to leave your green bin behind at your old property for the new occupants to use. We will not give a refund for any unused period of the 12 month subscription.

If you are moving elsewhere in East Devon, you may take out a new subscription at your new address if you wish.

Acceptable material and contamination

  1. Only green waste may be placed loose in the bin(s). Green waste must not be placed in plastic bags, as this affects the composting process.

We will collect:

  • Grass cuttings
  • Flowers
  • Small tree branches (Up to 10cms thick)
  • Loose leaves
  • Shrub and hedge trimmings

We will not collect:

  • Large branches (Over 10cm thick)
  • Turf
  • Earth, soil, stones, gravel etc.
  • Food including windfall fruit (eg apples and pears)
  • Pet bedding
  • Plant pots

Invasive weeds (such as Japanese Knotweed or Himalayan Balsam) or Green Waste with signs of Ash Dieback Disease (for more information visit the Gov.uk website)

Green waste bins must never be used for household refuse or recycling.

Contamination: It is the resident’s responsibility to remove the item(s) of contamination prior to the next collection. If the contamination continues, we may remove the bin(s).