Go-live date nears for council’s Garden Waste Recycling Scheme

Residents are being reminded that subscriptions are open to Cheshire East Council’s Garden Waste Recycling Scheme – with just 10 weeks left until the service goes live.

From January 2024, residents will need to be signed up to the scheme – and have their subscription sticker attached to their garden bin – to continue having their garden waste collected by the council. 

The quickest and easiest way to sign up is visiting the council's dedicated scheme webpage and clicking the subscribe button.

The scheme opened to subscriptions on 2 October and so far, more than 20,000 households have already signed up.

Once the service goes live from 15 January, subscribers will continue to have their garden waste collected by the council on their usual collection day each fortnight and may also choose to continue using their garden bin to recycle food waste. 

Councillor Mick Warren, chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee, said: “There’s not long now until garden waste collections become a subscription service and I’d encourage residents, who’d like to opt-in, to do this as soon as possible. This way, they’ll be ready to go once the service goes live in January.

“I’d also like to thank residents who have already subscribed. The introduction of our Garden Waste Recycling Scheme is a significant element in the council achieving a balanced budget in 2023-25 and being able to protect services for the people most at risk in our community.

“By signing up to the scheme, residents’ garden waste will also continue to be taken to our state-of-the-art facility in Crewe, so that it can be recycled and turned into compost for use in agriculture and horticulture – which is of course positive for our environment.”

Subscriptions cost £56 per garden bin, per year, with a 25% reduction in the fee available for those receiving qualifying benefits. 

As part of the sign-up process, residents will need to create a new account for their subscription – this is different to any other Cheshire East account they may have. They will then need to register an address for the scheme, before paying for their annual subscription in full. Payment is by card only.  

Once subscribed, a welcome pack containing their subscription sticker, which will have their address and unique subscription number on it, will be sent out to them. The sticker should be attached to the back of their bin (handle side) as soon as they receive it. 

The council’s website has lots of information about the scheme including:

• What to do if residents would like to share a garden bin with a neighbour, or a group of neighbours.
• How to pay for a subscription on someone else’s behalf.
• What to do if a resident subscribes and then moves house.
• The eligible benefits for those seeking a reduction in the subscription fee.

Garden waste collections are seasonal and there are no collections between mid-December and mid-January each year. This year, there will be no garden bin collections from the week beginning 18 December until 15 January 2024, when they will restart for subscribers. 

Residents will only pay for the Garden Waste Recycling Scheme if they choose to opt-in to the scheme and it remains free for residents to dispose of their garden waste at the borough’s household waste recycling centres.

The council also continues to encourage residents to try composting at home.

Residents not able to sign up online can contact the council on 0300 123 5011.