Council announces increase in garden waste collections
Garden collection will increase across Cardiff Photo cred: Geograph
Cardiff Council will collect garden waste all year round except for a two week Christmas break, it has announced.
Fortnightly garden waste collections will now take place for 50 weeks of the year.
This means 25 garden waste collections instead of 18 a year.
The local authority said that the festive pause was to “redirect resources and manage the increased amount of recycling caused by the festive season”.
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Accepted garden waste items include:
✔️ Leaves
✔️ Grass cuttings
✔️ Plant/flower cuttings
✔️ Small twigs/branches
✔️ Bedding from non-meat-eating animals (e.g., hay, straw, wood shavings from guinea pigs and rabbits)
✔️ Real Christmas trees, cut up and placed in the bin or sack
Items that cannot be accepted:
❌ Compost/soil
❌ Rubble/decorative stones
❌ Garden items (e.g., watering cans, gnomes, plant pots)
❌ Wood (treated or untreated)
❌ Green recycling bags
❌ General waste
Source: Cardiff Council
Labour councillor Norma Mackie, cabinet member for waste, street scene and environmental services, said the changes were made after resident feedback.
She said: “They asked and we are delivering for them. The improved budget settlement received from Welsh Government has enabled us to do this, and I’m really happy that we can make these changes.”
“Our hope is that this will support gardening enthusiasts and improve garden waste recycling at the same time.”
Cllr Mackie continued: “Cardiff is one of the best recycling cities in the world and garden waste collections help the city reach its recycling targets, but it’s important residents use the service in the right way, recycling only the correct materials.”
In the council’s 2022 - 2025 recycling strategy, it states that Wales is “currently the third best nation for recycling worldwide with Cardiff performing well in relation to other core cities in the UK” but that it does “lag behind other authorities in Wales in terms of our recycling performance”.
More information can be found on the council’s website.
