What is Classed as Green Waste or Garden Waste (with examples)

Most councils in the UK offer a green waste collection (sometimes called a garden waste collection). If you are confused about what is classed as green waste and what garden waste includes, then we’ve put examples below. 

Anything that falls outside of our examples of green waste cannot be placed into your council’s green bag. However, Zero Waste Group can come and collect any other garden rubbish (including green waste) such as old garden furniture. Please contact us for a quote. 

What is classed as green waste?

Green waste (or garden waste) is classed as anything biodegradable from your garden. This includes organic waste materials, with examples being:

• Grass clippings
• Leaves
• Tree branches and trimmings
• Organic garden debris
• Fruit and vegetable scraps
• Landscape pruning

However, please check with your local council authority first. For example, some prohibit you from putting vegetable waste such as potato peelings in green bins.

You should also not place soil into your green waste collection, as it makes the bags very heavy and difficult to dispose of properly.

Why it’s important to use your garden waste collection

If you out green waste in your normal bin, it could be taken to landfill. When green waste ends up in landfills, it can break down and emit methane which is a highly potent greenhouse gas. 

Additionally, landfills are rising. This means if you can dispose of green waste in this manner it’s a more sustainable option and better for the environment. Why? Because the green waste tends to be composted in the open air, not buried in landfill.

In fact, if you have too much green or garden waste to go in your green bin, consider calling Zero Waste Group. In most cases, we divert any garden waste we collect away from landfill so that it will be composted.

We can also take so much more green waste than your local council collection can. It’s not unusual for us to skips of green waste from properties to be composted. 

Why composting garden waste is important

Green waste should be recycled and converted into compost. This not only decreases the amount of waste sent to landfills, it can also produce nutrient-rich compost that can enhance soil quality in gardens and farmland. 

By being mindful of what constitutes green waste and how to dispose of it properly, we can play a role in protecting the environment and fostering a more sustainable future.

You can even compost at home. 

Home composting lets you reduce the chance of green waste being sent to landfills, which is particularly important if your local council isn’t doing this.  

Simply create a compost bin or pile using a combination of green and brown elements and some patience. Use items we earlier classed as green waste such as grass clippings, leaves and vegetable scraps, plus brown materials such as dried leaves, straw, and sawdust. 

Mix all the green and brown elements, add water, and regularly turn the pile to ensure proper aeration. The compost will be ready for use in around half a year to 12 months.

Click here to find out more about our garden clearance services.

We operate all across the south of England including Hampshire, London, and Surrey, and cities such as Portsmouth, Southampton, and Winchester to name a few.