There are two elements to paying for your Household Waste; the Pay As You Throw charge and the annual Waste Disposal Authority Bill. These charges along with some frequently asked questions are explained in full detail below. In addition, there is a separate charge payable to your Parish to cover the collection costs. For more information on this, please contact your Parish.
Pay As You Throw
The Pay As You Throw charge refers to the stickers which need to be applied to any bags of general household waste (i.e. black bags) set out for collection. There are two separate stickers, an orange one for bags up to 50 litres in size (the equivalent size to a kitchen swing bin) and a green one for bags up to 90 litres in size (the equivalent size to a dustbin). This charge covers the disposal of your household waste. Those who produce the most, pay the most.
Waste Disposal Authority Bill
The Waste Disposal Authority Bill is a fixed annual charge which is issued to islanders at the beginning of each year. The charge is sent to those who are property owners as of 01 January of each year. This charge covers the services and facilities provided by the States of Guernsey to manage the waste and recycling we all produce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pay as you throw
Where can I buy the stickers from
- The stickers are available from a range of local retailers, all supermarkets have supplies as do lots of smaller retailers such as garages, garden centres and post offices. The stickers are also available to order online through Guernsey Post and Manor Farm Foods- follow the links for more information.
Does it matter what colour bag I use to set out my general waste?
- To some extent the colour doesn't matter, but we would say avoid yellow bags which are associated with clinical waste and please ensure the bags used are proper waste bags. It's also worth noting that bags larger than 50 litres are often black and bags up to 50 litres are often white. To avoid confusion it is probably easiest to stick to white bags for 50 litre stickers and black bags for 90 litre stickers.
How many bags can I set out for collection?
- There is no limit, just please ensure any waste bag set out for collection has the appropriate payment sticker applied. There is also no limit on how many recycling bags you set out. Please ensure your bags are not causing an obstruction, if you do have a large volume, it may be best to take these directly to the Household Waste & Recycling Centre. For more information on what can be accepted and site opening times, please go to www.gov.gg/hwrc.
Can I use my wheelie bin?
- Yes you can, just please ensure the bags you use are no larger than 90 litres and have the appropriate payment stickers applied. If you would like to use your wheelie bin please confirm this with your Parish Constables first.
What happens if I don't put a sticker on my general waste bag?
- The collection contractors will not collect bags that do not have the appropriate payment stickers applied. They will record any they leave behind so that these reports can then be followed up and the appropriate action taken.
- If anyone does continually abuse the system, by trying to avoid paying for their waste to be dealt with, then they can receive a fixed penalty of £40 per bag - rising to £60 if not paid within 14 days. An official warning will be issued before any fixed penalty, so that really is a last resort.
My waste hasn't been collected, what do I do?
- Firstly check that you have the right collection night by visiting www.gov.gg/mybinnight. If you have next check to see whether the collection crews have left a note on your bag, if they have this will mean that something is wrong with how you have set out your waste and recycling (see next FAQ for more details). If there are no notes on the bag and you can't see anything wrong please contact your Parish Constables and report it as a missed collection. They will then arrange for their contractor to come back and collect it as soon as they can. For parish contact details please go to www.gov.gg/parishes.
Why has my bag been rejected by the collection crew?
- General waste can be left behind for any of the below reasons:
- A bag doesn't have a payment sticker applied or the correct payment sticker applied.
- It is set out on the wrong night for collection
- The bag is too big for the household scheme (i.e. larger than the maximum size of 90 litres).
- The bag is too heavy for collection. Please bear in mind that the collection crews have to lift bags to shoulder height, for health and safety reasons they can leave a bag behind if they deem it as too heavy to lift.
- If the bag is ripped in anyway. All bags must be tied and be secure.
- These instructions are written on the back of the Pay As You Throw stickers themselves. If your bag has been left behind and you're still unsure as to why please give us a call on 01481 221234 or email recycle@gov.gg
Someone has fly-tipped a bag on my property, what do I do?
- Under the law any waste fly tipped on private property is the responsibility of the landowner, however we are happy to help/advise where we can. If you have had fly tipping on your land, please do not touch it and report it to us as soon as possible by calling 01481 221234 or emailing recycle@gov.gg, if you have any evidence such as CCTV please let us know.
Bags have been left in our communal area, what do we do?
- If you have noticed that bags are being left in a communal area in a non-compliant manner, i.e. without payment stickers applied, please in the first instance contact your Management Agent. If they would like further advice they can contact us on 01481 221234 or they can email recycle@gov.gg.
Waste Disposal Authority Bill
I would like to pay my Waste Bill but I don't know how.
- You can pay the invoice online here or elect to pay by direct debit. If you have any queries, please contact the Income Management Team on 01481 223002
I own a property but its uninhabitable, do I still need to pay?
- To determine whether the charge is still required we would ask that you fill out a dispute form. Full information can be found at www.gov.gg/wdabillquery
My bill states that I am being charged for multiple property units, I'm unsure why?
- The bills sent to property owners are for each "domestic property unit" that they own. A single property split into four flats, for instance, is classed as four units. For more information on the definition of a "domestic property unit", and to query a bill that you think is incorrect, please visit www.gov.gg/wdabillquery
We value feedback from our customers and are keen to know how we can improve our services. If you would like to provide feedback to us, both positive and constructive, then please contact us via the details provided here. We also conduct surveys throughout the year at key Island events and at our waste and recycling sites, offering the facility to complete these surveys online or in paper form.
