By paying for the service, you will be accepting the following terms and conditions

Service description

• SWISCo, on our behalf, will deliver a 240-litre brown wheeled bin for garden waste to your property and will then collect it once a fortnight on the alternate week to your general waste bin, except for during the Christmas suspension period. 
• The subscription period starts from the date of the first collection for a rolling period of 12 months
• Garden waste collected will be composted locally.

Acceptable material and contamination

• Garden waste should be placed loose in your bin(s) – no plastic bags or compostable liners, please.
• We will only collect organic garden waste including:
  • grass cuttings
  • flowers
  • small tree branches up to 10cm thick
  • loose leaves
  • shrub and hedge trimmings
• We cannot collect:
  • food waste
  • animal waste (pet litter/bedding including straw or hay)
  • soil/compost or turf
  • bricks
  • stones or rubble
  • treated wood
  • flower pots
  • fake grass
  • wire netting/fencing
  • garden furniture
  • garden toys
  • ash
  • compostable packaging or any other non-organic material from your garden

If you place these items in your bin it will not be emptied until they have been removed.  

• Contaminated bins will not be emptied. If a bin contains incorrect items, it is a resident's responsibility to remove them prior to the next collection. If the contamination continues, we may remove the bin(s). No refund will be given in these circumstances.
• Your garden waste bin(s) must be used for garden waste from your property. Commercial waste is excluded. 

Brown wheeled bins

• You can subscribe to the garden waste service if there is adequate space to keep a wheeled bin within the boundary of your property between collections. Brown bins are unable to be permanently stored on the public footpath or highway.
• You will be supplied with one wheeled bin per subscription, while subscribed to the service.
• You can subscribe for up to three garden waste bins per property. Each bin is charged at the normal subscription rate.
• We aim to deliver bins within 10 working days from subscription payment, however there can be delays during busy periods.
• Only bins provided by SWISCo, on our behalf, will be emptied. We will not collect garden waste presented in any other container.
• If your bin becomes damaged, you can   Request a replacement garden waste bin and we will repair or replace it free of charge
• If your bin is damaged through neglect or misuse, the cost of repair or replacement may be recharged to you.
• Garden waste bins remain our property and must not be removed from the borough

Christmas suspension

• There are no collections for four weeks during Christmas and New Year period. The exact dates of the suspension each year will be communicated in advance and can be found on your yearly collection calendar. You will receive 24 collections during the subscription period.

Collection days

• Collections will be on the same day of the week as your current recycling and waste. Garden waste will be collected on the alternate week to general waste.
• If your general waste is collected weekly, you will be provided with fortnightly collection dates when you sign up to the service.
• The Council reserves the right to change your collection day subject to providing you with prior written notification.

Service cancellation

• Serious incidents or significant weather events could cause the service to be cancelled without return or refund. Details will be posted on our website. The council reserves the right to cancel collections without notice.  
• There are no refunds if you choose to cancel the service part way through the subscription period. 
• If there is evidence of misuse of the service, then we may cancel your service and stop collecting your bin. There will be no refunds in these circumstances.

Collection delays/service disruptions

• In the event of service delays, we will attempt to collect your garden waste within 48 hours.
• We do not offer refunds for collections that take place later than scheduled. 

Missed collections

• If a bin is presented correctly and has been missed by the collection crew, a replacement collection will be provided if the collection is   Report a missed garden waste collection within 48 hours (collections due on Fridays can be reported on the phone on Monday if you are unable to use our online reporting service.)  
• There are no refunds for all or part fees for missed collections. 

Presenting bins for collection

• All garden waste must be presented at the boundary of your property or at the agreed collection point by 6am on your day of collection.  If your garden waste is not presented for collection on time, we will not be able to collect it until your next scheduled collection day.
• 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 for health and safety. All wheeled bins must be closed for health and 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)
• In freezing conditions, bins will be emptied as thoroughly as possible, however frozen contents will be left in place if they are stuck to the inside of the bin and no return will be made. Residents should loosen the contents of their bin before the next scheduled collection.

Moving house

• Subscriptions are not transferrable to another address. If you move house, you will need to set up a new subscription.
• Your brown bin must be left at your old property.
• If you move out of our collection area, please leave your bin(s) for the new residents.  We will not be able to issue a refund if you leave the area.

Charges

• The fee is subject to a price increase each year at the discretion of and as advised by the Council. 
• We will not collect garden waste where customers fail to pay the annual renewal fee on time. No special return journeys will be made to collect garden waste for customers making late payments - customers will be required to wait until the next scheduled collection date. We advise subscribers of the latest date for renewal to ensure continuous collections.
• Approximately six weeks ahead of the end of your subscription period we will send you a renewal notice. Your collections will cease from the start of the new service year if payment has not been made. 
• A concessionary rate is available to those eligible for council tax support scheme, other benefits and reductions do not qualify for the reduced fee. By agreeing to these terms and conditions if eligible for Council Tax Relief you are happy for us to check Torbay Council records for your eligibility to the discounted price applicable at the time of subscription”.