From 4 March 2024, Braintree District Council will be charging for the collection of garden waste. Sign up by 30 November 2023 to grab a 50% Early Bird discount.
For those who have not yet signed up, there is still time to grab a 50% Early Bird discount off the annual cost of the subscription charge for the first bin collection. But residents need to be quick as the offer ends 30 November 2023. After that, the full year’s subscription price will be £55.
Additional bins are available at a one-off cost of £34 each, plus the annual subscription cost of £27.50 per bin for collection.
The first year’s subscription will cover a 13-month period from 4 March 2024 to 31 March 2025 and thereafter each subscription year will be from April to March.
All garden waste must be contained within the bins, and these must display a subscription permit sticker which will be sent to subscribers before the new service goes live. No extra garden waste will be taken by the collection crews.
Households that receive a kerbside black sack refuse collection, rather than wheeled bins, can also subscribe to the new garden waste service by purchasing biodegradable sacks from the Council especially for this purpose. Normally, these will cost £8 for a roll of 20 sacks including delivery and collection, but if residents sign up for the Early Bird discount, they can get them for £4 per roll and the discount applies to a maximum four rolls. These sacks have a shelf life so it is recommended not to buy more than can be used within a 6–8 month period. The new garden waste collection sacks will be delivered before the service goes live. No other type of sack will be accepted.
Cllr Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member for Transformation, the Environment and Customer Services, and Deputy Leader at Braintree District Council said: “We would like to thank our residents who have already subscribed, and it is very encouraging to see so many taking advantage of the 50% discount.
“If you have not done so already, there is only a short time left to catch the Early Bird discount. Subscribing is quick and easy to do. You can sign up and pay online by visiting our website or, if you do not have access to the internet, you can call our Customer Service Centre who will be able to assist you with other methods of payment.”
Residents who do not wish to join the subscription service may keep their green bins and use them for other purposes such as storing clear recycling sacks in between collections, although the waste will need to be removed and placed at their usual collection point on collection day.
For further information or to sign up to catch the Early Bird, please visit the Council’s website: www.braintree.gov.uk/gardenwastesubscription