Garden waste

Kerbside green garden waste collections

You can check your day of collection for the garden waste service.

Free garden waste bags

We also have a limited supply of free garden waste bags that you can collect. They are available for collection at:

Ley Street Depot Gatehouse, Ley Street, Ilford, IG2 7QZ - Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 10am and 1pm
Lynton House Customer Centre, Ground floor, Lynton House, High Road, Ilford - between 9am and 4pm
Fullwell Cross Car Park (Opposite the Library) - on Monday between 9am and 10.30am
Sir James Hawkey Hall Car Park, 1 bag per person - on Monday between 11am and 12.30pm

You can also take garden waste for free to any of the following East London Waste Authority (ELWA) Refuse & Recycling Centres, including:

Chigwell Road, Redbridge
Jenkins Lane, Newham
Frizlands Lane, Barking & Dagenham
Gerpins Lane, Havering

ID is required to dispose of waste at ELWA refuse and recycling centres.

Other ways to dispose of garden waste

Green waste such as grass trimmings, plant cuttings, and weeds are ideal for composting alongside waste from the home such as shredded paper, cardboard, and egg shells. Composting is great for the environment and is a fantastic natural way to dispose of garden waste.

We’d like to encourage more residents to find out the benefits of composting.

View more information on composting and how to purchase compost bins

Remember that you must dispose of all your rubbish responsibly. Dumping rubbish is a serious offence and those caught fly-tipping face a £400 on-the-spot fine.

No sign up is required. You just need to put out your green waste in the complimentary durable, woven bag on your collection day.

Check your garden waste collection day

Please ensure the bag is placed at the boundary of your property next to the pavement by 7am on collection day.

Official borough garden waste map (854KB)

You can put the following in to the waste bag: ✔	We ask you not to include the following: ✖
grass cuttings	household or food waste
hedge trimmings	paints or liquids
prunings and small branches	logs and tree stumps
weeds and leaves	plant pots and polystyrene
dead plants	turf or soil

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to sign up to receive this service?
You do not have to sign up again. The new service is universal, meaning that it is available and free of charge to all residents who wish to use it.
How long will the service run for?
The service will run until November 2019 and those who have garden waste in December 2019, January and February 2020 can bring it to Chigwell Road Recycling Centre, Jenkins Lane Reuse and Recycling Centre or Frizlands Lane Reuse and Recycling Centre.
How will I know when my garden waste is being collected?
Garden waste is collected fortnightly; you can check your garden waste collection date.
Where shall I leave my green garden waste bag for collection?
Bags should be clearly displayed at the boundary of your property. If you are not using the allocated green garden waste bag please ensure the bag is untied so that the contents can be determined.
How many bags can I put out?
We encourage you to fill your Garden Waste bag in the first instance. If you have additional waste you may use alternative bags. While there is no set limit on how many bags you can put out we expect residents to understand that this needs to be a reasonable amount. If you have a large amount, you can also bring garden waste to the recycling centre.
What happens if my bag is lost, damaged or stolen?
Each property has been issued with one Garden Waste bag in 2018. We have a limited number of spare bags available. If your bag has been lost, damaged or stolen a further bag can be collected:
Ley Street Depot, Ley Street, Ilford, IG2 7QZ - between 9.00am and 12.00pm 2.00pm and 4.00pm

Lynton House Customer Centre, Ground floor, Lynton House, High Road, Ilford - between 9am and 4pm

Also from Monday 25 March, every Monday we will be at Fullwell Cross Car Park between 9am and 10.30am and at Sir James Hawkey Hall Car Park, between 11am and 12.30pm giving out 1 bag per person.

Please bring proof of address when collecting bags. They are only available to residents of Redbridge.
What should I do if I think the collection of my green waste has been missed?
If you think this is the case, you can report it on our missed collections webpage.