Spring Start for Garden Waste Opt-In Scheme

From April next year, residents across the High Peak will see changes to the way their food and garden waste are collected — as new national legislation requires all councils to introduce a weekly food waste collection service.

Currently, High Peak Borough Council collects food and garden waste together. However, to comply with the new law, the Council must make operational changes that add both cost and complexity to the service.

To meet these changes sustainably, the Council has agreed to introduce an optional, chargeable garden waste collection service — starting at the same time as the free weekly food waste collections. Over 80% of councils nationwide already operate a similar subscription model.

Residents are now invited to share their views on how the new service should work by completing a short online survey.

Executive Councillor for Climate Change and Environment, Jean Todd, said:

We’re working with our partners at Alliance Environmental Services to get ready for the big changes to collections that will start next spring.

Food waste will be collected every week and we’ll be providing households with a caddy to make it easier for everyone to separate any food waste from other organic waste.

We’ll also be asking people who want the Council to continue to collect their garden waste to opt-in to fortnightly collections for a small annual fee – a similar arrangement to that already in place at the majority of councils across the country.

It’s a voluntary scheme and those people who don’t have gardens, and those who choose not to join, won’t be affected. We’re keen to hear from our residents as we shape the service we’ll be operating from next year so I’d encourage people to complete the short online survey and share their thoughts.

The annual subscription for the new garden waste service will be £46, which is below the East Midlands average of almost £49.

Residents who choose not to subscribe will still be able to dispose of their garden waste by:

• Taking it to the Household Waste Recycling Centres in Buxton or Glossop, or

• Taking advantage of a subsidised home compost bin offer that will be available before the new scheme begins.

️ Have your say: The online survey closes on Thursday 20 November.