Garden waste - what happens to your waste and recycling?

View this page in Welsh / Gweld y tudalen hwn yn Gymraeg

Why is it important to recycle garden waste?

Garden waste is taken to a composting site and turned into a nutrient-rich soil conditioner.

This can then be used for agriculture, land reclamation and as an ingredient in some multipurpose composts you can buy at a garden centre.

What happens to my garden waste after it is collected?

The Vale of Glamorgan Council runs a garden waste subscription service, collecting garden waste every two weeks from the kerbside.

Once collected, the waste is taken to a composting site, where it breaks down in a similar way to home composting—but much faster.

Because there is so much material, temperatures can reach 60°C. This heat helps tiny bacteria and enzymes break down the waste quickly, turning it into compost in just a few weeks.

The compost is mixed often to give air to the bacteria, helping them work faster. The high heat also kills weeds, plant diseases, and harmful germs.

At the end, the compost is sifted to remove anything that shouldn’t be there. It is then sorted so it can be used to help plants grow.



Watch the video to learn more about the process:


How is the compost used?

Compost can be applied in a range of end uses:

  • Within full-scale agriculture
  • Within landscaping, gardens and brownfield sites
  • As a soil improver, mulch, topsoil constituent, turf dressing, and growing medium constituent

How can I recycle my garden waste?

1. Garden Waste Collections - Subscription Service

The Vale of Glamorgan Council offer a subscription service for garden waste collections.

If you’d like us to collect garden waste from your home, you can sign up for a garden waste collection subscription.

Once subscribed, just put your garden waste bags at the edge of your property by 7am on your scheduled collection day.


2. Take your garden waste to your local household waste recycling centre

If you’d prefer not to subscribe to our garden waste collection service, you can still take your garden waste to your local household waste recycling centre for free.

3. Compost your garden waste at home

Home composting is a great way of saving money and an environmentally-friendly way of reducing your waste.

Once everything breaks down, you will have free compost to use in your garden or pots.

More information and help with home composting can be found here.


View this page in Welsh / Gweld y tudalen hwn yn Gymraeg

Why is it important to recycle garden waste?

Garden waste is taken to a composting site and turned into a nutrient-rich soil conditioner.

This can then be used for agriculture, land reclamation and as an ingredient in some multipurpose composts you can buy at a garden centre.

What happens to my garden waste after it is collected?

The Vale of Glamorgan Council runs a garden waste subscription service, collecting garden waste every two weeks from the kerbside.

Once collected, the waste is taken to a composting site, where it breaks down in a similar way to home composting—but much faster.

Because there is so much material, temperatures can reach 60°C. This heat helps tiny bacteria and enzymes break down the waste quickly, turning it into compost in just a few weeks.

The compost is mixed often to give air to the bacteria, helping them work faster. The high heat also kills weeds, plant diseases, and harmful germs.

At the end, the compost is sifted to remove anything that shouldn’t be there. It is then sorted so it can be used to help plants grow.



Watch the video to learn more about the process:


How is the compost used?

Compost can be applied in a range of end uses:

  • Within full-scale agriculture
  • Within landscaping, gardens and brownfield sites
  • As a soil improver, mulch, topsoil constituent, turf dressing, and growing medium constituent

How can I recycle my garden waste?

1. Garden Waste Collections - Subscription Service

The Vale of Glamorgan Council offer a subscription service for garden waste collections.

If you’d like us to collect garden waste from your home, you can sign up for a garden waste collection subscription.

Once subscribed, just put your garden waste bags at the edge of your property by 7am on your scheduled collection day.


2. Take your garden waste to your local household waste recycling centre

If you’d prefer not to subscribe to our garden waste collection service, you can still take your garden waste to your local household waste recycling centre for free.

3. Compost your garden waste at home

Home composting is a great way of saving money and an environmentally-friendly way of reducing your waste.

Once everything breaks down, you will have free compost to use in your garden or pots.

More information and help with home composting can be found here.