A new way of collecting green garden waste is being planned by Spelthorne Council.
The current collection system which has been running for around three years, involves the use of biodegradable sacks which are bought by residents and collected from the edge of the property.
Under the new proposals, a wheelie bin would be provided – probably brown – which would be supplied for a yearly service charge in the region of £30-£35. Residents would place their garden waste bin at the edge of their property every week, on the same day as their rubbish or recycling.
The scheme – which would be introduced next year - would be for waste from plants and trees only and would take in 2,500 properties every week using a driver and two loaders. For those who wish to stay with the sacks – if they do not have space for another bin for example – and at the request of residents, a more robust type of bag is being considered.
The enhanced service would be likely to increase recycling rates by an extra 2-3%.
The scheme would operate for 10 months of the year, missing out December and January, and payments would be most likely made by direct debit in advance with the option for residents to share a bin.
Cllr Gerry Forsbrey, Portfolio Holder for the Environment said: “This already popular service can only improve with the introduction of the wheelie bins. It will also mean that more elderly and disabled people can take part in the scheme as wheelie bins are much easier to move around than sacks. The scheme will initially be open to all residents with an initial limit of 5,000 bins. If there is sufficient demand we will consider investing in another vehicle and more staff."
For more information contact the communications team on 01784 444260/446297
