Calls for free garden waste collections

Gardening experts are calling for garden waste bin collections to be made free across the UK to encourage green fingered Britons to dispose of waste responsibly.

The garden specialists at Garden Buildings Direct suggest a freeze on the cost of a garden waste bin will see more Britons send waste for composting rather than throwing it in rubbish bins. 

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The cost of a garden bin varies across the UK, with the typical price ranging between £30 to £50 per financial year, depending on the council authority.

Collections will vary too with some councils collecting throughout the year, and others for a limited number of months.

If garden waste isn’t separated from regular rubbish, it normally goes to landfill or is incinerated for energy and electricity production.

But, garden waste contains moisture which reduces the efficiency of generating electricity in an incinerator.

Composting garden waste provides a valuable soil fertiliser. It also reduces disposal costs and is a natural way of processing material which would otherwise be landfilled.

The experts believe removing the charge will see more gardeners make use of the service rather than putting compostable waste in regular bins.

And they are encouraging gardeners to think about how they store the bins to avoid them looking unsightly.

They suggest a wheelie bin storage shed to hide them away or creating a screen with plants.

A spokesperson for Garden Buildings Direct said: “Currently Britons have to pay to have their garden waste collected, and while £30 to £50 may seem an insignificant sum to some people, for others it’s unaffordable, especially if they only fill their bins a couple of times a year.

“Making garden waste collections free across the UK will remove that barrier and will see the rubbish reused and turned into compost, rather than going to landfill or being incinerated.

“Garden waste is a valuable resource – composting will produce a good fertiliser for green fingered Britons to use directly on their garden to improve the soil quality.

This is a simple yet effective step that local councils can take to support their residents in making environmentally friendly choices.”