Alert Section

Garden Waste

Subscriptions for the 2024 garden waste collection season are now closed.

Please do not remove the sticker you were provided with from your brown bin when your collections end. This will be used for the 2025 collection service if you choose to subscribe again.

Subscriptions for the 2025 season will be opened in the New Year.

What happens to my Garden Waste?

Flintshire County Council collect Garden Waste from all over the county and turn it into a super rich soil conditioning product. Approximately 12,000 tons of green waste from Flintshire's households, Household Recycling Centres (HRCs), roadsides, parks, and gardens, is collected every year.

It's taken to the Council's own composting site in Greenfield. Only vegetation such as grass, branches, and leaves can be taken to the site, items such as soil, cardboard or plastic cannot be accepted.

Frequently Asked Questions

The sticker I received in 2022 or 2023 is no longer on my bin

First, please make sure that the sticker you are referring to is the one shown in the picture below:

RFID

If the sticker you received for the 2022 or 2023 collection season has been removed / is no longer on your bin and you need a new one then we can provide a replacement (please note that a replacement will void the previous sticker).

How often is garden waste collected?

We collect garden waste every two weeks, alternating weeks to your black bin collection. Your recycling and food waste is collected weekly.

Garden Waste collections will operate between 1 March and 14 December for the 2024 season.

To check your collection day, visit our Check Your Bin Day page

Where do I place the RFID sticker?

Please affix the sticker using the instructions enclosed in the subscription pack. This allows the readers on the vehicles to show payment and ensure that the stickers aren't damaged by the lifting equipment.

The collection crews will not collect any garden waste bins without a sticker displayed.  

Last year I subscribed for multiple bins but this year I only want one bin, how do I know which sticker/bin to put out?

The software system we use will automatically identify whether your property has more than one RFID sticker assigned to it. If your property has multiple RFID numbers assigned to it but you only pay for one subscription then you can put any one of you bins out and the RFID reader on the vehicle will accept that bin.

However, if you were to place a second bin out for example (which you haven’t paid for) the RFID reader will alert the crew to the fact that the second bin has not been paid for and they won’t collect it.

You do not have to do anything other than place out the number of bins you have paid for each collection day.

What if I subscribe and my brown bin or subscription sticker is stolen?

Please check with your neighbours to make sure they have not taken your brown bin by mistake. If not, then report it to us as soon as possible so that we can investigate. The RFID sticker will alert us if the brown bin has been placed at the incorrect address and the sticker can be deactivated.

The stickers are made with a high level adhesive, which are weather proof. Once set, they are difficult to remove. 

We would encourage you to mark your brown bin with your house number or address to make your bin clearly identifiable.  It is the responsibility of the householder to ensure their brown bin/s are safely stored.  In the event of a missing bin, there will be a charge of £30 for a replacement bin (i.e. the cost of the bin). 

What if my sticker is damaged / missing?

The brown bin is your responsibility and you must ensure that your sticker remains clearly visible.  However, if it is damaged/missing, please contact us and an officer will check your details on our system and, if necessary, make a site visit.

A resident has more than one bin and sticker.

If a resident has paid for more than one bin to be emptied, then each bin will receive a new RFID sticker.

What if I want to request a refund?

Please use the refund application form to request a refund on your 2024 payment clearly stating the reason for the refund. The form will guide you through the information we need to assess a refund request. Once assessed you will be notified of the outcome within 10 working days.

Why have you changed to RFID stickers?

We have been making improvements to the way the waste and recycling collection services operate, such as installing vehicle tracking, telematics and 360 degree CCTV to all of our collection vehicles.  All of this helps us to make our services more efficient, improves the information available to residents and contributes towards us achieving our recycling target of 70%.  

In 2020, we carried out a successful trial using an electronic sticker for brown bins, known as RFID (radio frequency identification).  

In 2022 we issued a new sticker, which contains an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag, to all households who subscribe for the collection service.  The intention is for the electronic stickers, which work in a similar way to shop security tags or stickers, to be attached to the brown bin and registered to each property.  The electronic sticker is intended to be automatically scanned by a chip reader on the bin lift at the back of the bin wagon to confirm that a subscription is in place and make it easier for the crews to identify the bin is eligible for collection. The chip reader is similar to a supermarket scanner or barcode reader and the only data that will be recorded is that the bin has been collected.

The use of RFID stickers will help us to identify immediately whether a collection has been missed, record the emptying of the bins and confirm that all bins on the round have been processed.

How long will these stickers last?

The new RFID sticker is highly durable and will remain on your bin for several years to come and will be activated each year when you sign up for the annual subscription or deactivated if you choose not to subscribe. 

What is the QR code for? 

The QR (Quick Response) code, which you can scan with your mobile phone will take you directly to the Flintshire website where you can check your bin day (calendar) or find out more information about our waste and recycling services. 

How will the sticker work?

The sticker will be automatically scanned by a chip reader on the bin lift at the rear of the vehicle to confirm that a subscription has been paid. The sticker can only be read during the emptying process and only by the reader affixed to the collection vehicle.

When the bin is presented to the vehicle a light will show green if a subscription has been paid, then the bin will be emptied. A red light will show if a subscription has not been paid and the bin will be returned to the property without emptying.

The only data that will be recorded on the readers is that the bin has been collected. This information will be monitored by our operational staff and will inform us which bins have or have not been collected on the round. It will also show the progress of our collection round vehicles. This information will also assist with resident enquiries through our Contact Centre.

What will happen with my data from the stickers?

This sticker holds no personal data, only a unique reference number, which is specific to your property address. The electronic sticker will automatically be scanned by a chip reader on the bin lift at the rear of the vehicle to confirm a subscription is in place. Please refer to the privacy notice.

Will the sticker hold any personal information?

No, the sticker will not hold any personal information. It will hold a unique reference number (as per the current tag or old sticker), which can be cross referenced to the property address on the back office database, so that we know that the bin has been collected. Please refer to the privacy notice.