With spring fast emerging Monmouthshire County Council is urging residents to start making plans to dispose of garden waste. Gardeners preparing to prune and put their gardens in order after a mild, wet winter have a number of options.
The most sustainable method to dispose of cuttings, weeds and grass clippings is to use a home composter – composters can be obtained from environmental company Original Organics at a subsidised price by calling 0808 120 9676.
Alternately, residents can transport garden waste to one of the council’s household recycling centres for disposal – a free service – or apply to use the garden waste collection service. This costs £10 per annual permit entitling residents to fill one bag of garden waste each week from 1st April 2014 to 31st March 2015. Residents may sign up for more than one permit if they wish.
Introduced last year, the garden waste collection service has been a huge success. Monmouthshire County Council was able to retain the service by introducing a charge in July 2013 and generated £180,000 to help subsidise costs. Over 30% of the county’s residents enlisted and the council’s waste and recycling staff are hoping to increase that figure over the next twelve months.
Payments for permits can be made:
- online at : www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/home/streets-parking-and-transport/recycling-and-waste/garden-waste/
- in the council’s one stop shops in Abergavenny, Caldicot, Chepstow and Monmouth
- or by phoning 01633 644705.
According to the latest official figures Monmouthshire County Council is the top recycling authority in Wales. Between July and September last year, recycling, reuse and composting rates reached 66% in Monmouthshire, significantly above the Welsh average of 57%.
Councillor Bryan Jones, cabinet member for waste and recycling said: “The council encourages all residents to dispose of their garden waste in a sustainable manner and I’d like to thank the public for helping us send less waste to landfill and exceed our recycling targets. We aim to maintain our position as the number one recycling authority in Wales and to increase the rate we recycle garden and other waste in the future.”
