Garden bin collections cost £74 in 2027, up from £69 this year and £59 in 2025. Sign-up is open now, and from 2028 the subscription renews itself unless you opt out.

Having your garden bin emptied in Macclesfield will cost £74 in 2027. That is £5 more than this year and £15 more than in 2025. Subscriptions for next year opened this week.

Cheshire East Council announced the new year’s scheme on Wednesday, and used the same announcement to apologise for this year’s missed collections (Cheshire East Council, 28 October).

The price, year by year

The council’s subscription page gives the 2027 charge as £74 for one bin, January to December (subscribe to the garden waste scheme). Archived copies of the same page show what it cost before:

That is a rise of about 25% in two years.

Bar chart of Cheshire East's annual garden waste charge for one bin: £59 in 2025, £69 in 2026 and £74 in 2027.
Garden waste charge for one bin a year. Chart by The Macclesfield Times
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If you get a qualifying benefit, the 25% discount brings 2027 down to £55.50. This year’s discounted price was £51.75. The qualifying list includes council tax support, universal credit, housing benefit, guaranteed pension credit and income support. The single person discount does not count.

The apology, and no refunds yet

Almost 100,000 households subscribed in 2026, the council says. It admits “some residents have experienced disruption to garden waste collections” this year.

Councillor David Jefferay, cabinet member for environment, sustainability and waste management, said:

“I’d like to apologise to residents who have been affected by collection disruptions this year. We have put plans in place to stabilise collections and improve reliability.”

The council says it is “reviewing its refund policy” as part of that work. It has not said whether anyone who lost collections this year will get money back. Earlier this month it blamed shortages of HGV drivers and loaders, and broken-down vehicles, for missed collections, and put weekly food waste back to early 2027 (our report).

Automatic renewal from 2028

You have to sign up for 2027 in the usual way. From the 2028 collection year, the council says, subscriptions will renew automatically every year unless you opt out through your online waste account.

Watch for that if you might move house, stop gardening or switch to home composting. You will need to opt out yourself, or you will be charged for another year.

What it means for you

  • Sign up or renew now through the council’s waste portal, or call 0300 123 5011, 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
  • Sign up early. The subscription runs January to December whenever you join, and there is no discount for joining late.
  • Put the new pink sticker on the back of the bin, handle side, as soon as it arrives. The council says bins without a valid sticker may not be emptied.
  • No collections between mid-December and mid-January, as in previous years.
  • Neighbours can share one bin. One of you is the named subscriber and pays.
  • Not paying? Garden waste can still go to the tip for free. Danes Moss in Macclesfield has repair works from 16 November, but garden waste is still accepted there.

Collection days and the other bins are on our Macclesfield bin collection days page.