Witney News - Garden Waste Scheme set to expand

Garden Waste Scheme set to expand

West Oxfordshire District Council is re-launching its Garden Waste Scheme to give twice as many residents the chance to get their green waste collected.

The fortnightly collection scheme has proved extremely popular since it was introduced in 2006 and is currently running at full capacity with 4,000 households signed up, and several hundred more on a waiting list. The Council is now doubling the scheme to give a total of 8,000 households the opportunity to join.

This scheme will start in May and runs until the end of September 2010, when a new waste collection contract comes into force in West Oxfordshire. The charge is £51 per household - equivalent to just £3 per month. As well as a fortnightly collection service, this fee includes provision of a wheeled bin.

As with the current scheme, which runs until the end of April, all garden waste will be composted to reduce the pressure on landfill sites and help the environment. Since April last year, 1,477 tonnes of garden waste has been collected and composted. This already exceeds the total amount collected (1,408 tonnes) the previous year.

Cllr David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “We are running the Garden Waste Scheme at full capacity and know that many more people would like this service as we have several hundreds on a waiting list. The Council wishes to give all households the chance to have their garden waste collected, but this requires detailed planning and will take time to arrange. In the meantime, we are pleased to be offering this extended service. It will mean that even more garden waste can be diverted from landfill and turned into an environmentally-friendly and beneficial product.”

Garden waste that can be collected varies from grass cuttings and tree prunings to hay and straw. This type of green waste can be harmful if sent to landfill as it can break down to form leachate, a liquid that can pollute water and soil, and produces methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

Residents can sign up for the scheme now and are encouraged to do so as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Anyone wishing to join, or find out more information, can do so online at www.westoxon.gov.uk/garden, by calling 01993 861020 or emailing [email protected].