Online registrations for new garden waste collection subscription to open next month

03 June 2019

Aberdeen residents planning to subscribe to garden waste collections will have the opportunity to register from July.

It is intended the charge for collections will come into force from September 1 and preparations for the roll-out are continuing.

The timeline has been announced as part of the planning for the new subscription charge. The £30 fee per annum, for the collection of brown bins containing garden waste, was agreed at the annual budget meeting in March.

It is one of a number of measures to reduce costs and increase revenue which were adopted to help bridge a funding gap of £41.2million as the result of reduced funding, rising demand and growing cost pressures.

The initiative will require any domestic household requiring garden waste to be collected to register and pay the annual subscription. Households will be issued with a tamper proof sticker to affix to their brown bin as proof of subscription.

Residents will be notified by letter of the full detail prior to the roll-out.

The annual subscription is expected to run from September 1 each year and will be for a fixed 12-month period. There will be no discounts or reductions for householders signing up part way through a year. Residents are advised to sign up in time for the September start date to get full benefit of the permit.

Councillor Philip Bell, Aberdeen City Council’s environmental spokesperson, said: “In adopting a similar subscription model as other local authorities we are able to continue to offer the collection of garden waste for an annual fee which falls below that charged in other areas.

“It’s important to stress that collections are optional and we will continue to offer advice and guidance to anyone who wishes to consider alternatives such as composting. Some residents may also choose to drop garden waste at our network of household waste and recycling centres, which has been taken into account in our planning.

“We expect a large number of households will be keen to continue with garden waste collections and the preparations for the roll-out of the subscription are well underway. The online registration will make it quick and convenient, with the newly announced outline schedule for implementation another step forward.”

Collection crews will be given guidance and training to support the introduction of the subscription charge and ongoing monitoring. Brown bins used solely for food waste will not be subject to the garden waste charge and householders are encouraged to continue to recycle their food waste.

The potential for an increase in domestic garden waste being deposited at household waste and recycling centres has been factored into plans, with no significant environmental impacts identified and evidence that there will be limited impact on recycling rates.

A potential increase in home composting and other minimisation activity by customers has also been taken into account when calculating anticipated sign-up rates. The Council will continue to promote home composting as an option.

For further information and answers to frequently asked questions visit: www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/gardenwaste