Garden waste collections across the Bath and North East Somerset area will restart on Monday 28th January, five weeks earlier than planned, thanks to savings made following an increase in recycling.
Bath & North East Somerset Council has been able to bring forward the resumption of garden waste collections after making savings in waste disposal, the direct result of an increase in the amount of waste local people are recycling.
Councillor Bob Goodman, cabinet member for Development and Neighbourhoods, said: “While the best way to dispose of garden waste is to compost it at home, we know residents value and make good use of our garden waste service.
“By restarting the service earlier than planned we hope to encourage people to recycle more and prevent unnecessary journeys to our recycling centres.”
B&NES Council has said there will be no garden waste collections from Monday 3rd December 2018 to Friday 25th January inclusive.
The council’s paid for fortnightly garden waste collection service will start again on Monday 28th January.
As previously announced, Christmas trees will not be collected by Bath & North East Somerset Council this year, as part of the winter suspension.
Speaking about the earlier than planned reintroduction of garden waste collections, Councillor Tim Ball (Lib Dem, Twerton) commented: “Bringing back the garden waste collections a month earlier is a partial climb-down by the Conservative Cabinet, and we are glad they are starting to listen.
“However, the fact remains that residents will still be paying the full year’s subscription for 10 months of service.
“It’s also quite impractical to expect residents to hang on to dead Christmas trees until the end of January.
“Most people are still likely to put their trees out for collection early in the New Year, when they take their decorations down. I expect we will still see trees sitting around on the streets for most of January.”
Christmas trees should be taken to your local Recycling Centre, or they can be put out for collection free of charge on your garden waste collection days between 28th January and the 8th February.