Green bin FAQs
It costs the Council £500,000 a year to run the current kerbside green bin collection service and given that the Council has to reduce its net general fund budget, it is no longer able to afford to provide a kerbside green bin collection service for no charge to households.
If the Council cannot afford to keep providing kerbside green bin collections without making a charge, why not just stopping the service completely and making a £500,000 a year saving that way
Green bin collections are a discretionary service and so the Borough Council could choose to stop the service completely. However, doing this would take a well used and long established service away from residents completely and without any customer choice whatsoever.
While introducing a charge for all garden bins that are collected is not a popular thing to do, it does give households a choice as to whether they wish to continue to receive the service on an annual subscription basis.
Does the Council have to collect my green bin by law
There are some services that we are required to provide by law. These are known as mandatory services.
There are other services that aren't required to provide by law, but we chose to provide them. These are known as discretionary services, and collecting green bins is one of these discretionary services.
Do other Councils make a charge for collecting garden waste bins
Of 302 garden waste collection schemes operated by councils in England, 184 [61%] of them are charged for. Locally Rugby, Hinckley and Bosworth, Tamworth and Lichfield councils all charge to collect garden waste bins.
Why is the charge £40
Where Councils charge to collect garden waste from the kerbside, the average cost across England is £42.60. Our neighbouring council, Rugby charges £40 a bin and we already make a charge of £40 a bin to collect the second and additional green bins from a property. Given these things, we have decided to make a charge of £40 per green bin per year.
Do I have to have my green bin collected by the Council and pay the £40 a year charge
No, it is an opt-in scheme so you can choose for the Council not to collect your green bin and dispose of your garden waste in another way.
How many green bins will the Council collect from my property
Residents will be able to subscribe for as many green bins as they wish to be collected from a property. Each green bin will cost £40 per year.
How many times a year will you collect my green bin
Once every two weeks, apart from a two week break in January, so 25 times a year.
How can I get rid of my garden waste if I do not subscribe to have my garden waste collected by the Council
Households that do not subscribe to have their garden waste bin collected will be able to compost their garden waste, or take their garden waste to the Judkins Household Waste and Recycling Centre.
I do not want to subscribe for the Council to collect my green bin, so when are you going to come and collect my green bin as I do not need it anymore
We are asking residents to keep their green bins. This is because the bin is relevant to the property and would need to be present should there be a change of occupier, who may wish to subscribe to the service.
Also, by retaining the garden waste bin, anyone who does not wish to sign up to the chargeable service at its outset will be able to do so at any time and will have a bin at their property to use for this purpose. In the long run, this will save money and make the whole scheme much more efficient.
I currently pay for my second green bin to be collected, will I still have to pay this charge as well as the £40 for my first green bin
Yes, the £40 per green bin per year charge applies to all green bins that are to be collected from a property.
How will the Council know if I have paid my £40 annual subscription charge to have my green bin collected
Residents who have paid their £40 per green bin annual subscription charge will be supplied with a sticker stating that they have subscribed for a given 12-month time period. The resident will need to attach the sticker to their bin in order to receive the service. Green bins that are presented without a sticker attached will not be collected
When will the 12 month annual service period run from and to
From 1 February in one year until 31 January in the next year. Including a two week service break .
When do I have to pay my £40 per year subscription charge by
In order to receive a full 12 months of the service, payments need to be received by 31 January. Payments can be made after the 31 of January but the period covered by the £40 subscription charge will still end on 31 January the following year (meaning it will be less than a full a full 12-month period).
Can I pay by instalments
No, residents must pay their £40 per green bin annual subscription charge in one go to receive the service.
What happens if I pay after 31 January
Payments can be made after 31 January but the period covered by the £40 subscription charge will still end on 31 January the following year (that is it will be less than a full 12 months).
What happens if I move house and have subscribed to have my green bin collected from my old address
Residents who move house and remain within the borough will be able to transfer the service to their new property for no extra charge.
Do I get a refund if I decide that I no longer want the Council to collect my green bin after I have paid
No, there will be no refunds offered to residents that want to stop using the service after they have paid their subscription. As the service will be subject to an annual renewal, residents can opt out at the next renewal date.