Brown bin

Terms and conditions

The service

  • These terms and conditions relate to the chargeable garden waste collection service provided by Midlothian Council (hereafter known as ‘the council’ ) for the kerbside collection of compostable household garden waste presented in a brown / brown-lidded 240 litre wheeled bin.

Use of your data

We will use the email address you give to send you an:

  • E-receipt for the payment made.
  • Email advising you how to sign up and pay for the service from March 2025.
  • Email advising of any change to your service.

If you have signed up for the service in a library using a library email address, you will not receive these notifications.

Information on how we collect, store and use your data (opens in new window)

Registration and payment

  • The charge for the brown bin collection in 2025 is £42.00 per bin.
  • Bins are emptied fortnightly from March to November.
  • Up to six bins can be registered and paid for at one address. The charge will be applied to each bin.
  • There will be no pro rata payments if you join the service part way through the year.
  • If you change your mind, you may cancel the registration at any time, by sending an email with your details to recycling@midlothian.gov.uk.
  • If you cancel within 14 days of registration you will receive a full refund. If you cancel after 14 days of registration you will not receive a refund.
  • A bin sticker will be issued for each bin registered and paid for. Bin stickers are non-transferrable, and only valid when presented at the property for which they were originally purchased.
  • You must let us know if your sticker does not arrive within 6 weeks of payment.
  • Only bins displaying a valid sticker will be emptied.

Refunds

  • Bin stickers are non-transferrable. They are only valid at the property for which they were bought.
  • There will be no refund if you move to a property in Midlothian without a brown bin, or move out of Midlothian during the payment period.
  • No refunds will be made if a bin is not emptied as a result of our service failure. Instead we will try to fix the issue e.g. we will return to empty a missed bin.

Request a refund

Shared bins or multiple bins at a specific property

If you want to share a bin with one or more neighbours, you must agree one person who will register and pay for the collection service. It will be the responsibility of that group of neighbours to arrange their own payments among themselves, and to ensure the bin is presented on the correct days.

Collection and non-collection of bins

  • Brown bins must be used for compostable garden waste only. Find out how to use your brown bin correctly (opens in new browser tab).
  • Bins must be at the kerbside by 6:30am on the day of collection.
  • Bins should be presented with the handle facing the road, and the bin sticker clearly visible to collection crews.
  • The council reserves the right not to empty brown bins where:
    • Bins contain incorrect items
    • Bins are too heavy to safely move
    • Bins are in poor condition (eg: wheels or lids broken)
    • Garden waste is heavily compacted or the contents are frozen
    • The lid is open or ajar.
  • It shall be solely for the council to determine if any bin meets any of the above criteria.
  • It will be the sole responsibility of the householder to remove any contamination or excess weight from the bin, and present the bin on the next collection day.
  • No refund will be made for bins which are not emptied for the reasons listed previously.
  • Wheeled bins that are presented after 06:30am, and are not emptied, will not be emptied by the council until the next scheduled collection day. No refund will be made for bins not emptied for this reason.
  • To allow us to return to empty your bin, you must report the non-collection by 5pm the following working day (Monday-Friday). We cannot return if a report is made after this time. Report a missed collection online (opens in new browser tab).

New, repair or replacement of bins

Bin stickers

  • Place your sticker on the back of your bin where it's clearly visible to collection crews.
  • If you have not received your sticker(s) within this timescale, you must request a replacement sticker.
  • Only bins displaying a valid sticker will be emptied. There will be no refund if bins aren't emptied for this reason.

Change of address

  • If you move home, please leave the bin at the property.

These Terms and Conditions are subject to change at the council’s discretion without notice.

The council expressly reserves the right to withdraw the service for the collection of waste without notice in the event of war or other emergency, civil commotion, riot, strikes, adverse weather conditions or other circumstances outwith its control. No refund of fees will be applicable in the event of the loss of service for the reasons detailed in this section.

Find more information on the chargeable garden waste collection service (opens in new browser tab).

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