If you have a garden, regardless of its size, you will inevitably generate waste throughout the year.
Whether it is from cutting the grass, trimming the hedges or having it completely relandscaped, waste is bound to be generated and will need disposing of, in some form or another.
You may be wondering whether you can take your garden waste to the tip, and the answer is yes. However, there are some things you need to be aware of first before you do so.
How to take your garden waste to the tip
If you do decide to take your garden waste to the tip, you should separate it first into recyclable and nonrecyclable items.
You must use a strong, durable bag (i.e. not a black bin liner or carrier bag) and not overfill it either. This means it is less likely to tear, and once you have emptied it you can take it home with you and reuse it again with any future garden waste.
Garden waste is notorious for sharp edges, thorns and splinters. Therefore, you should invest in some strong gardening gloves as well, in order to prevent injury to yourself when carrying, loading and unloading the waste.
You will also need appropriate transportation in order to get your garden waste to the tip.
Depending on how much you have got, you may be able to fit this into your own vehicle or you may need to borrow/hire a van. This will, of course, come with some additional costs and some recycling centres have restrictions on the height of vehicles allowed to enter.
You will need to check your local recycling centre to see what restrictions and limits they have in place before you take your garden waste to be disposed of.
What are the alternatives to taking your garden waste to the tip?
If this is all sounding like too much hard work and effort, then there are other options available to you.
Hire a professional waste removal company to collect your garden waste
The best option is to contact a professional waste removal company, like RecycleZone, to come and collect it for you.
We offer a garden waste removal service that will save you infinitely more time, hassle and effort as we’ll take care of it for you. No need for you to load it into your vehicle, drive to the tip and sit in queues of traffic.
Our team of vetted professionals are experienced in this type of work and will do all the heavy lifting, moving and disposal for you, giving you peace of mind the waste has been dealt with appropriately.
We also have a waste carrier licence, which means you do not need to worry about applying for one. The cost of a waste carrier licence can be avoided this way, saving you money and the inconvenience of the application process.
If you want to learn more about us, and the services we offer, then please do not hesitate to contact us for a free, no obligation quote. Our friendly staff are on hand to answer any questions or queries you may have. Alternatively, you can visit our FAQ page.
Local council garden waste collection
Some local authorities provide a bin or garden sacks for your garden waste and collect it periodically as part of their household collection scheme.
It is worth noting that you can only put the following items in your garden waste bin:
- Grass, hedge and shrub cuttings
- Leaves and weeds
- Plants and flowers
- Straw, hay and sawdust
- Tree bark and small branches
- Vegetarian pet waste (i.e. from rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters)
However, all councils are different, so it is advised to check with them first before disposing of your garden waste in the garden waste bin.
If this collection service is not available in your local area, you can visit your local recycling centre.
Compost your garden waste in your garden
Composting your organic garden waste is probably the most sustainable option available to you.
However, you cannot put non-organic garden waste in here, so that will need to still be disposed of. Plus, composting takes a long time (about a year) before you can start harvesting it to use in your garden.
There might also be some cases where your garden waste is not compostable, or you cannot put it in your garden waste bin to be collected by the council.
This might include:
- Items that are too big (such as tree cuttings and pieces of timber)
- Bags of earth and mud for soil disposal
- Heavy garden materials (such as rocks and stones)
If this is the case, then you have the option of taking it to the tip, or even better, contacting RecycleZone and we will come and pick it up for you.
Burn your garden waste
As a rule of thumb, burning garden waste should never be the first option in managing garden waste as they are not environmentally friendly and can provide a nuisance to your neighbours.
If you do opt for this method, then you should make sure you follow your community guidelines on how to do this safely and respectfully.
Importantly, your garden waste must be dry before it is burnt or incinerated.
Generally, incinerators are better than just having an open bonfire as they burn the garden waste at a very high temperature and produce less smoke.