OPT IN FOR GARDEN WASTE RENEWALS NOW
Green fingered residents will be keen to know garden waste opt in applications for 2020-21 are now
open. The annual fee for a 240-litre brown wheeled bins will remain at £60 to ensure garden waste can
still be collected easily.
There are already 20,000 households across Wokingham borough subscribed to the service, which takes
away garden clippings, grass cuttings, leaves and weeds fortnightly from the kerbside. Making use of the
service means residents are able to have 6,240 litres of green material collected from the kerbside each
year – more than one large skip.
The materials are then sent to Oxfordshire to a composting facility, creating re3grow compost, which is
made available to residents via Re3’s household waste recycling centres in the spring and summer
months. Last year 10,863 tonnes of green material were collected at the kerbside and recycling centres.
The garden waste is then turned into compost and is available to buy at £3.50 per 40-litre bag, the cost
of producing it, so residents can use it in their gardens and help to grow new plants. This is an example
of the council making the most of a circular economy, collecting something from residents and turning it
into a useful resource.
This year residents who are already signed up for the garden waste collection service will receive a letter
asking them to opt in and pay online for use of a bin from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021. These are
being sent out this week.
Invoices will no longer be issued to residents to charge them for the service. Payment can be made
online via www.wokingham.gov.uk/ordergardenwastecollection, by calling 0118 974 6000 and selecting
the “waste” option or in person at the council’s Shute End offices, or if you are a library member, you
can also get help and online access by visiting one of our libraries.
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Date: 4 March 2020 Issued by: Connor McLoughlin
Issue No: 46/20 Version: 1.0
Wokingham Borough Council, Shute End, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 1BN Tel: (0118) 974 6000 Email: CEM@wokingham.gov.uk
Those who already have a brown wheeled bin and are renewing will receive a purple sticker to attach to
the bin. If residents are signing up for the first time, their bin will be delivered with a purple sticker
attached. Visit www.wokingham.gov.uk (search ‘garden waste’) to check collection days.
“It’s great to see we have so many keen gardeners and growers in our borough, with more than 20,000
people taking advantage of our garden waste collections last year,” said Cllr Michael Firmager, deputy
executive member for environment and leisure. “I hope those numbers only continue to grow,
particularly with all the materials collected being used in the circular economy to create compost and go
back into our residents gardens.”
Residents who do not want to sign up for a brown wheeled bin can still take advantage of garden waste
collections using the council’s brown compostable sacks. These have a capacity of 75-litres and cost £1
each, they can be purchased from the council’s offices or local libraries. Residents will be told their
collection day for these upon purchase.
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Further information: 1. More from Cllr Michael Firmager, deputy executive member for environment and leisure, on michael.firmager@wokingham.gov.uk 2. More on garden waste collections, visit www.wokingham.gov.uk (search ‘garden waste’) 3. More on re3grow compost, via https://re3.fccenvironment.co.uk/re3-foil/re3grow-compost/