Issued by City of York Council
As changes to residents’ winter garden waste collections take affect from November, making a significant saving of £67,000 towards a two-year savings target of £125,000, York has seen a positive uptake in the number of residents composting.
Earlier this year, City of York Council held a consultation on changes to garden waste collections, which received over 1,000 responses.
Through this consultation 71.2 per cent of residents that responded and equally 61.5 per cent of residents that have used the garden waste service during the winter months in previous years, supported the removal of garden waste collections during the winter months of November to March.
City of York Council will now put in place changes to the service and there will be no green bin collections from November to March , when only 18 per cent of annual garden waste was collected in previous years.
Further service information is available in the rubbish and recycling calendars recently delivered to residents.
As a result of direct feedback from residents surveyed, all eligible households will continue to have one garden waste container collected free between the months of April and October, whilst households who would like to sign up to have additional garden waste containers emptied can do so by subscribing to an annual service of currently £35 by calling 01904 551551.
Furthermore, 69.8 per cent of all residents who responded to the consultation and 62.7 per cent of people who use the winter service felt that the removal of the service would have no impact on them, and that they would compost at home or take their garden waste to a Household Waste Recycling Centre.
In October alone, the council has already seen a positive uptake in the number of composting bins sold. The council and its partner Yorwaste have already given away 800 tonnes of compost this year, made from the garden waste collected from the green bins in York.
Cllr David Levene, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, said: “We are committed to providing the best service possible to residents and businesses alike during these challenging financial times.
“The consultation allowed us to listen to residents’ views and choose the best option that aligned both their needs and the authority’s need to save money.
“It’s great to see such a positive response to the council’s subsidised compost bin offer – with over 300 home composting bins sold on that one single day in October.
“Through offers like this we will continue to promote composting across the city, which has so far already given back over 800 tonnes of compost to residents.”
Residents can purchase a reduced price compost bin by going to the council website.
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