Garden waste service subscriptions now open in the South Hams

South Hams residents can now sign up to or renew their subscription for the district’s garden waste collection service.

Anyone living in the district can now sign up for a garden waste subscription for 2026/27.

If you sign up before 31 March 2026, you’ll pay a lower “early bird” fee of £70 for a year-long subscription running from 1 April 2026 that covers collections for one brown wheelie bin. If you sign up after 31 March, the service will cost £73.

There is a maximum of two subscriptions (which would cover two bins) per household. Subscribers can put grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, cut flowers and plants, small branches, weeds, leaves, twigs, windfall fruit and vase flowers in their brown bin.

The price for the year-long subscription has risen from last year; this is to continue covering the cost of your waste services.

Cllr Jacqi Hodgson, Executive Member for Waste, said: “The paid garden waste collection service has been running in the South Hams for three years now, and the quality of service for residents has been consistently high, with reliable collections and real convenience for those who sign up.

“Compared to what private companies charge for collections, the annual fee represents very good value for money.

“The £70 early bird fee works out at around £1.35 a week, which is very reasonable for a service which saves on trips to the recycling centre, is good value and well worth considering if you have a garden.”

The quickest and easiest way to sign up is on our website: www.southhams.gov.uk/gardenwaste - the website is also full of information on the service.

If you’re already a subscriber to the garden waste service, there will be no changes to your service if you renew your subscription by 1 April, and you can continue to use your brown bin with no interruptions. 

Those who decide not to sign up for the service can still take their garden waste to all three recycling centres in the South Hams. Full details, including opening hours, are available online here: www.devon.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/centre/ 

Alternatively, people can find out more on home composting possibilities here: www.recycledevon.org/in-the-garden/how-to-compost