Stafford Borough Council are reminding Stone residents that home composting is a possible alternative to paying to have their garden waste collected via the council.
Borough Councillor Jonathan Price, Cabinet Member for Environment, issued the reminder following recent figures that show more than 25,000 homes across Stafford borough have already signed up to the council’s brown bin garden waste service.
The annual charge of £36 per brown bin was introduced at the start of the year if people wanted to continue using the fortnightly service. The move is expected to see savings to the Borough Council budget of around £900,000 – which will the council say will help protect other key services to the community.
You can find out more and sign up at any time during the year from www.staffordbc.gov.uk/brownbin – the council is preparing for an increase in households registering with Spring upon us and many people getting out into their gardens.
A subsidised scheme is already on offer for residents to buy a home composter from £10 in a joint venture between the Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council. More information can be found at www.getcomposting.com
Councillor Price said:
“It was a difficult decision to take to introduce a charge for this service but I am pleased that so many residents have signed up to continue having their garden waste removed.
“For a number of years we have been in partnership with the County Council to offer subsidised composting bins – and many households may find this works for them as an alternative to the garden waste collection service.
“We promote the reduced-price composting bins on our garden waste webpage so people can find out more about prices and how to purchase one.”
Adding that the money raised from the brown bin service would help protect other essential frontline services to the community.
For more information on the brown bin service go to www.staffordbc.gov.uk/brownbin
