'Postcode lottery' exposed as North Yorkshire residents pay fifth most for green bin services

New data reveals that North Yorkshire ranks fifth worst for garden waste collection costs in Yorkshire and Humber.

According to garden waste collection experts Divert at https://www.divert.co.uk/your-waste/garden-clearance/ residents face a real “postcode lottery” when it comes to green bin collections.

Sheffield City Council has the highest garden waste charges of any council in Yorkshire and Humber at £66.58 for new customers for a service runs for 12 months from sign-up with a short break for Christmas and New Year.

In second place is Bradford City Council which charges £62 per year for their service.

Collections run from June to May and consist of 12 collections overall, one every four weeks.

No collections take place between December 19 and 20th January 20, and food waste is not accepted.

Kirklees Borough Council takes third place with a charge of £56.65 for the service which runs from March to November 2026.

A winter break takes place between December and February and collections are fortnightly.

In fifth place in Yorkshire and Humber is North Yorkshire with new customers paying £52.00 annually.

Divert used data for garden waste collection costs for new customers from each council's website and says its data is correct as of 08/06/2026.

John Verity, garden waste collection expert at Divert, said: “Garden waste collection charges have become a real postcode lottery for residents across the UK, as in some areas, households can have their garden waste collected kerbside, whereas others require a separate subscription to be taken out."

North Yorkshire Council offers a licence for one 240-litre wheelie bin to be emptied fortnightly.

The service runs between March and early December.

Anyone who would like to have more than one bin emptied can pay for a licence for each additional bin.

In 2023 North Yorkshire Council began a process of "harmonising" fees for households across the county after the area's district councils were abolished. Garden waste collections generate more than £5 million for the authority each year.

Data also revealed that seven Yorkshire and Humber councils offer a free garden waste service.