Ex-owner of LM Solutions London · onlyvans-uk.com · rubbishbids.co.uk
How Much Does Garden Waste Removal Cost in London?
A man-and-van load of green waste in London typically runs £60–£150, but heavy soil or turf costs considerably more because it’s charged by weight rather than volume — and in some boroughs, including Wandsworth, the council bin is free. This guide covers each option honestly and tells you when each one wins: council collection for regular light waste, private removal for the jobs the council bin won’t handle — one-off piles, soil and turf, mixed garden waste, or anything outside the fortnightly schedule.
Garden Waste Removal — Quick Price Summary (2026)
Green waste (van load)
£60–£120
Mixed garden waste
£120–£250
Soil / earth (by weight)
£100–£200
Rubble / hard landscaping
£150–£400
Indicative prices for 2026. Soil and turf are charged by weight — always confirm by weight when comparing prices. Prices may be quoted ex-VAT; always ask whether VAT is included.
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The Three Ways to Remove Garden Waste in London
Before the numbers, a quick map of your options and the one-line trade-off with each.
Council garden bin
Cheapest for regular light green waste — free in six boroughs, a flat annual fee elsewhere. The catch: fortnightly schedule with a winter pause, green waste only. No soil, rubble, garden furniture, or one-off large piles.
Skip hire
Good for big or ongoing projects where waste builds up over several days. You load it yourself. A mini skip (2–3 yd) runs £100–£200; a builder’s skip (6–8 yd) £250–£400. A road permit may be needed if the skip sits on a public road.
Man-and-van
Most flexible. The crew loads everything, handles mixed and heavy waste, and removes it in a single visit. Priced by load. Best for one-off clearances and anything the council bin won’t take — soil, turf, fencing, pots, mixed garden waste.
Garden Waste Removal Prices in London (2026)
Private man-and-van services price most garden waste by volume — with one critical exception covered below. For how these figures compare to general rubbish removal, see our London rubbish removal cost guide.
| Waste type | How it’s priced | Typical London cost |
|---|---|---|
| Green waste (grass, leaves, hedge clippings) | By volume — cheapest | £60–£120 per van load |
| Mixed garden waste (green + furniture/pots/timber) | By volume, heaviest-rate | £120–£250 per load |
| Soil / earth | By weight | £100–£200 per van load |
| Turf | By weight (heavy) | Priced with soil — confirm by weight |
| Rubble / hard landscaping | By weight | £150–£400 |
| Small tree / stump removal | Labour + disposal | £150–£400 (large/awkward: £500+) |
The most important thing to know about soil and turf
Soil and turf are charged by weight, not volume. Wet or clay-heavy soil can weigh two to three times as much as dry soil of the same apparent volume — so a small-looking pile can become a surprisingly expensive load. Mixed loads are usually charged at the rate of the heaviest waste type in them, so a barrow of soil mixed into green clippings will push the whole load into a heavier price band. For an accurate price on how heavy waste is priced by weight, posting a job and comparing bids is more reliable than any visual estimate.
Skip hire alternative: A mini skip (2–3 yd) costs £100–£200; a midi (4–5 yd) £150–£300; a builder’s skip (6–8 yd) £250–£400. Road permits add £30–£90/week depending on borough. You load the skip yourself, so there’s no crew cost — but for most one-off residential piles, a man-and-van is faster and requires no permit.
London premium: London typically runs 20–40% above the UK average on garden waste disposal, driven by higher disposal gate fees, fuel, wages, and ULEZ or Congestion Zone costs for carriers entering central London.
How Much Does Council Garden Waste Collection Cost in London?
Most London boroughs run a subscription service: you pay an annual fee, the council supplies a dedicated green wheelie bin, and collections run fortnightly, typically pausing through winter. The London average is around £68 a year — but in six boroughs, it’s completely free.
For regular, ongoing light green waste — bagging up the lawn every fortnight through spring and summer — the council bin is almost always the cheapest route. The question is what it won’t take, and when it’s not available.
Six London boroughs collect garden waste free (2026/27)
For regular light green waste, the council bin in these boroughs almost always beats private removal on price. Check your borough’s current service — terms change annually.
| Borough | Annual charge (2026/27) |
|---|---|
| Greenwich, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster | Free |
| Brent | £69 |
| Harrow | £69 |
| Ealing | £75 (£50 concession for over-65s / means-tested) |
| Hounslow | £75 |
| Hillingdon | £77 |
| Richmond upon Thames | £95 |
| Enfield | £100 |
| Lewisham | £100.63 |
| Barnet | £103.80 |
| Kingston upon Thames | £104 (London’s highest) |
Figures are 2026/27 — check your borough’s current price as councils review charges annually. Six London boroughs — including Wandsworth — collect garden waste free. Even where it’s paid, the council bin is usually the cheapest route for regular light green waste. It’s the one-off piles, heavy soil and turf, and mixed waste where private removal earns its keep.
When a Council Bin Isn’t Enough
The council bin is the right answer for ongoing light green waste. It fails you in five common situations:
One-off large clearances
Council bins are for ongoing trickle, not a post-project pile. After a landscaping job or house move, you might have more waste than weeks of fortnightly collections could clear.
Soil, turf, rubble, or logs
Not accepted in green bins under any circumstances. If your pile contains heavy or hard materials, you need a private van or skip.
Mixed waste
Broken furniture, fencing, pots, timber, and other mixed garden waste are excluded from green bin collections. Private removal handles all of it in a single visit.
No bin, no subscription, no car, or awkward access
If you haven’t subscribed, don’t have a car to reach a tip, or have difficult access — stairs, restricted parking, tight gates — a man-and-van is the practical option.
Winter, when collections pause
Most London councils suspend garden waste collections from November to March. Private removal runs year-round.
This is where a man-and-van or skip earns its keep — and where comparing bids rather than calling one carrier can save £20–£60 on the same job.
Garden Clearance vs Garden Waste Removal
These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they describe different scopes of work — and the difference affects your budget.
Garden waste removal
Taking away waste you’ve already cut and gathered. A crew arrives, loads your prepared bags and piles, and removes them. Priced by load. You do the cutting; they do the lifting and disposal.
Garden clearance
Cutting back an overgrown garden and removing the resulting waste. This includes the labour of pruning, weeding, and clearing — plus disposal. Costs more because of the added work. Best when the garden isn’t yet ready to remove.
If your garden needs cutting back before anything is ready to load, you need a full garden clearance — post a job and carriers will confirm whether that scope is included. If the waste is already gathered and bagged, a straightforward waste removal job applies.
How to Keep Garden Waste Removal Costs Down
Practical steps that make a real difference to what you pay:
Bag and gather waste before the crew arrives. Prepared waste takes less time to load, which often reduces the price — especially for carriers pricing by time as well as volume.
Keep green waste separate from soil or rubble. Mixed loads are charged at the rate of the heaviest material in them — a barrow of soil tipped into a pile of clippings can push the whole job into a heavier price band.
For regular light green waste, subscribe to your council’s garden bin service, or use it free if you’re in one of the six free-collection boroughs. It’s the cheapest route for ongoing trickle waste.
For one-off jobs, compare bids from multiple EA-licensed carriers rather than accepting the first price. Prices for identical jobs vary significantly across London.
Send a photo when describing your job. It helps carriers price accurately and reduces the chance of adjustments on the day.
Ask whether the price includes VAT. Many carriers price ex-VAT, which adds 20% to the final bill.
Why Licensed Disposal Matters
You are responsible for your waste even after handing it over
Under UK duty of care law, if you hand garden waste to an unlicensed carrier and they fly-tip it, the waste traces back to you. As the householder, you can face a fixed penalty of £400 or an unlimited fine if prosecuted in court. This applies even if you had no reason to suspect fly-tipping. Always verify that your carrier holds a valid Environment Agency Waste Carrier Licence before they take anything away.
How to check a carrier is legitimate
You can verify any carrier’s licence on the Environment Agency public register. EA-licensed carriers are legally obliged to dispose of waste responsibly at a licensed facility. RubbishBids connects you to EA-licensed carriers only — carriers cannot bid on jobs without a valid licence. RubbishBids does not verify where individual loads are taken; that obligation sits with the licensed carrier under the terms of their EA registration.
Post a garden waste job and compare bids from EA-licensed carriers
For anything the council bin won’t take — soil, turf, one-off piles, mixed garden waste — post one job and compare bids from EA-licensed carriers, then pick the one you want. Only the carrier you choose gets your contact details. No calls from firms you didn’t select.
Frequently Asked Questions
Luke Polach
Founder, RubbishBids · Ex-owner, LM Solutions London
Luke Polach is the founder of RubbishBids and onlyvans-uk.com. He previously ran LM Solutions London, a licensed waste carrier and man-and-van company operating across London and the South East — giving him first-hand experience of disposal costs, Environment Agency licensing, and how carriers price their jobs. He writes to help homeowners understand their legal obligations, avoid fly-tipping fines, and get fair prices for waste removal.
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