This agreement is made between you (‘the Customer’) and Milton Keynes City Council (‘the Council’) of Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes, MK9 3EJ, and sets out the terms and conditions under which the Customer may use the Council’s additional green bin subscription Service (‘the Service’).

The Service

1. The Council will provide weekly green bin collections during the subscription period, provided the annual subscription fee has been paid in advance. This service is available for up to two (2) subscribed bins per nominated property.
2. Collections will occur weekly throughout the year, except for a 1-week break over Christmas and New Year.
3. The Service is only available to residential kerbside properties served by Milton Keynes City Council that can accommodate a wheeled bin collection service. 
4. The subscription period for 2025/26 will run from 12 May 2025 to 31 March 2026. Thereafter, the renewal date will be from 1 April each year irrespective of the date the subscription is paid from. Subscriptions do not run on a rolling 12-month basis and the subscription fee is not pro-rata for a shorter period.
5. A permit sticker authorising collection will be provided for each subscribed bin, which must be affixed to the rear of the bin below the handle. It is the responsibility of the Customer to place the permit sticker on the bin. Permits will be processed on the next business day following payment confirmation and delivered within 7 business days.
6. Additional green bins without a valid permit sticker will not be collected.
7. The standard bin provided by the Council is a 140L green wheeled bin. All new and replacement bins will be 140L capacity – no other bin size will be provided.
8. Residents may share a bin, but it must be registered to one property with a single payment made. The bin must be presented for collection outside the registered property only, or collection will not occur. This arrangement must be agreed between you and your neighbour, as the Council is not involved in this agreement.
9. The terms of this agreement will commence from the date the Customer receives the permit and attaches it to the subscribed bin.
10. The Customer is responsible for the care and maintenance of the bins.
11. Should a bin become damaged, lost, or stolen, a replacement bin and permit sticker must be requested to continue receiving the service. 
12. Subscriptions cannot be transferred to a different property during the subscription period. If the Customer moves home, a new subscription will be required for the new address. Refunds will not be issued for subscriptions linked to the former address.

Payment for the Service

13. Payment must be made in full when taking out a subscription. The fee is non-refundable, except in the circumstances outlined in this Agreement. No concessions are available. 
14. The subscription fee covers the cost of weekly collections during the subscription period only.
15. The subscription fee will be reviewed yearly as part of the Council’s annual budget review of fees and charges. Details will be published on the Council’s website.
16. If an additional green bin collection is requested during the subscription period, a new subscription fee must be paid for the full applicable term.
17. Customers should renew their subscription when available for the following year if they wish to continue using the service.

Cancellation

18. If you wish to cancel your subscription, under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation & Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, you have 14 days from the receipt of your payment to request a full refund. After this period, no refunds will be provided for the remaining subscription period.
19. Cancellation requests must be made in writing within 14 days to Customer Services at customerservices@milton-keynes.gov.uk. Refunds will only be issued if all delivered permit stickers are returned to the Council and received within 21 days of the original payment receipt. Permit stickers must be returned to the following address with your name, phone number, and email address: Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes, MK9 3EJ.

Presenting waste for collection

20. Bins should be presented at the boundary of the property by 7am on the day of collection and positioned with the sticker facing towards the road.
21. All waste must be fully contained within the bin and the bin presented with the lid shut. No excess waste on top or to the side of the bin will be removed.
22. Bins must be retrieved as soon as possible after collection and stored within the boundary of the property between collections.
23. Only permitted items can be put in the green food and garden waste bin. A full list of items can be found on the waste and recycling page.
24. If you need help with your bin collections, you can request an assisted collection from the Council if you qualify. If you already receive help with your food and garden waste bins, you do not need to reapply for this service when subscribing for an additional green bin. Visit the Council’s website for more information about the assisted collection service.
25. If a collection point requiring access over a private road or driveway is agreed with the Council, the Council may require the householder(s) to grant access by means of an indemnity. If an indemnity is required, it is the responsibility of the householder to procure it at their own expense.

Contaminated waste

26. Bins with unacceptable waste will be marked as ‘contaminated.’ The collection crew will record the contamination on the contractor’s information management system which will be visible to the Customer on the missed collection reporting portal and leave a hanger on the bin handle to inform the Customer. In such cases, the Customer should retrieve the bins, remove the contaminants, and present the bin again on the next scheduled collection day. This cannot be reported as a missed collection.

Missed collections

27. Customers are required to report missed collections as soon as possible, within two (2) working days (Saturday is considered a working day for the purpose of the waste collection service) of the scheduled collection (e.g. up to 23:59 of the second working day). The bin will be collected within 24 hours of the report being made. This includes any missed collection raised on a Friday which is to be collected the next day, for example, Saturday. Missed collections raised on Saturday or Sunday will be collected the next working day. 
28. Where a missed collection is logged, the Customer should ensure that the bins are presented for the returning crew.
29. Customers who pay for bin cleaning services will not be entitled to a reimbursement of bin cleaning costs if the waste is not collected for any reason.
30. The collection crews will not return to empty bins, nor will any refunds be issued in the following circumstances:
    • the bin is not at the normal collection point when the crew arrive
    • the bin has been marked as ‘contaminated’
    • the bin is too heavy to be lifted or tipped
    • the waste is excess (side) waste
    • the bin is unauthorised (not Council-branded, or has no permit sticker)
    • the contents are compacted, frozen or otherwise stuck inside the bin
    • the bin is damaged and emptying it would pose a health and safety risk.
31. Missed collection reports may be verified by the crew records, including photographs taken at the time of their visit.

Bin and sticker replacements

32. The Customer can request a replacement for damaged, lost, or stolen bins free of charge. Requests for replacements should be made to the Council online via our website. We aim to deliver bins within 10 working days of receiving a request and collections will commence on the next scheduled collection day following delivery of the bin. 
33. A replacement permit sticker for a subscribed bin can be requested via the online form free of charge if it has been lost, damaged, or stolen. The replacement permit sticker will be delivered within 7 business days.
34. Refunds will not be issued for collections not undertaken whilst Customers are awaiting delivery of new or replacement bins or permits.

Disruption To Service

35. The collection crews endeavour to keep to schedule, but occasionally this may not be possible. Where delays arise, Customers should leave their bins at their normal collection point and the crews will work as quickly as possible to catch up.
36. In exceptional circumstances such as extreme weather or other factors outside of the Council’s control, the Council reserves the right to vary and/or suspend the service without notice. In such circumstances, notices and service updates will be posted on the Council’s website. Refunds will not be provided for these exceptional circumstances.
37. In freezing weather conditions bins will be emptied as thoroughly as possible, but frozen contents may be stuck to the inside of the bin. In these circumstances, our collection crew will not return until the next scheduled collection.

Data Protection and privacy

38. The Council shall record and maintain the personal data of the Householder in accordance with and in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR. How we use any personal data is set out in the Council’s Privacy Notice.

Complaints

39. The Customer can contact the Customer Services Team for any queries, issues or complaints relating to this service, online or call 01908 252570.