No. In the past, some councils could afford to offer a garden waste service free of charge. However, every council has seen substantial cuts to their budgets. In some cases that extra money simply isn’t there anymore.
Councils now have to prioritise their funding so they can continue to deliver essential statutory services like social care. No council is required by law to offer a garden waste collection.
However, rather than simply cutting garden waste collections completely some councils have chosen to make a charge which will contribute towards running their service and keep it available for those who choose to use it.
There are still free alternatives to using a charged kerbside service including home composting and taking green waste direct to any of Staffordshire’s recycling centres.