Hillingdon Council’s 2026/27 Garden Waste bag tags are orange, and they’re on their way to this coming year’s subscribers.

We remain unconvinced that having plastic tags is necessary, and we are even less convinced that it was worth spending £137,000 more on them this year (figures from this year’s budget – it seems an astronomical cost for a financially struggling Council, for tags that are not necessary for the operation of the service, and would be used at best three-dozen times before being thrown away).

Great packaging

However, we’re impressed with the way that they have been delivered this year: they have arrived in the post, via 2nd Class Large Letter:

The packaging is a recyclable paper envelope – four layers of paper thick, no plastic making up the packaging and it arrived in perfect shape in this afternoon’s post.  This seems much more efficient and sensible than the in-person adhoc door-to-door delivery that the scheme used last year.

Well done to Hillingdon Council for the improved, timely, efficient and well packaged delivery this year.  And the choice of colour, orange, is marvellous.  It is bound to be a glorious growing season for gardeners and allotment-keepers.

Perhaps the people running the packing operation could have a turn at doing the Council’s bookkeeping?

2026/27 Garden Waste Subscriptions

• Annual fee: £77.00 for the year from 1st April 2026 (covering upto 6 bags).
• Schedule: Weekly collections in Spring, Summer, and Autumn; fortnightly in Winter.
• New tags: Once you renew, you will be sent orange identity tags to fix to your current canvas bags, replacing the green tags from last year.
• No tags again? The council says that if your tags haven’t arrived by your first April collection, you can still put your bags out. Crews will check their in-cab computers to verify your subscription.

How to subscribe

You can subscribe online via the Hillingdon Council website or by calling 01895 556000.