The charge would only apply to households that opt to have their garden waste collected.
Other households would not be affected, including the one third of Bolton households that do not have a garden, and which instead put their food waste in a 23-litre caddy.
Also not affected are households in hard-to-reach areas that as a result do not have either a green bin or a caddy.
The proposed annual fee of £45 would cover 25 collections through the year, the equivalent of £1.80 per collection.
The scheme would only apply to garden waste, meaning that green bins could still be used for food waste.
Collections of food waste in green bins and caddies would continue as normal without charge, and collection days would also remain the same.
Unlike other types of waste, the council does not have a statutory responsibility to provide free collection of garden waste, which includes things like grass clippings, weeds, dead flowers, old plants, leaves and twigs.
More than two-thirds of the councils in England have already started charging for the service.
Bolton Council’s waste and recycling service is targeting savings of £1m and the proposal would be enough to achieve this.
Households that opt into the scheme would be provided with stickers for their green bins so that the waste collection teams know to empty them.
Green bins without a sticker could only be used for food waste.
A system in the waste collection vehicles would also tell the recycling team which households are signed up.
Residents who opt not to join the scheme would be encouraged to either compost their garden waste at home – subsidised composting bins are available through the council website – or take it to one of the household waste and recycling centres on Salford Road or Raikes Lane, where it is sent for composting.
Composted waste is currently sold and any money that the council makes is reinvested into the cost of the disposal contract.
The introduction of charges will understandably raise fears of an increase in fly-tipping, but councils that already operate a charging system have not seen evidence of this.
Bolton Council’s Executive Member for Climate Change and the Environment, Cllr Richard Silvester, said:
“We don’t make any proposals around bin collections and charging for services without extremely careful consideration.
“Currently, over 80,000 households have free collections of garden waste and anyone who pays council tax helps to fund these collections, regardless of whether they have a garden or not.
“This proposal would mean that those who choose to use the service would contribute directly towards the cost of providing it.
“At a time when council budgets are under severe strain, we must find ways to protect vital frontline services, and therefore we need to consider every option.
“I would urge everyone to take part in the consultation, whether they have a garden or not, and have their say.”
The consultation is available on the Bolton Council website until Monday, 4 November.
