Garden Waste Collection Con

[Deskdiary]

We have a fortnightly rubbish collection and a fortnightly garden waste collection. This has been going on for about 10 years following the decision by the council to halve the collections from a weekly collection.

I have today received an email from the council telling me the garden waste collection will be becoming an opt-in service, and if I want to opt-in, it's going to cost me £100 a year.

My CT is just shy of £2,800 a year.

Am I the only one who finds this outrageous? Can I expect to have an 'opt-in' option at some point in the future for rubbish collection?

[Smowball]

We just drive to our local tip which is just 5 mins away

[spathiphyllum]

"those that don't are subsidising those that do."

Those who don't go to hospital subsidise those who do? Those who are home schooled subsidise those who go to school? Those who have zero waste subsidise for those who do have waste? Those who don't drive subside for those who do

I'm sure my taxes go places i don't want them to, it's just how it is, unless everything is privatised?

[Old_Geezer]

It is outrageous and it is typical. They don't reduce the tax bill so are effectively getting you to pay twice. But that's what we get. Those who can't force others to treat them decently are ripe for financial abuse by those in power.

[MWG14]

We have paid for our garden waste to be collected for years - £45.00 for the first bin & £10.00 for an additional one.

[gingejbee]

The only thing that is "outrageous" is that some councils have always charged for this service (eg mine) and some have never charged (eg OP)....

[david small]

£60 a year. Saves me a filthy car, and a queue at the tip.
Everything cost these days. Sad really...

[nescio]

£22 p.a. for fortnightly garden waste collections in my part of North Yorkshire

[Barmaid]

We get one garden bin collected for free every 2 weeks. The additional bin we pay for which is about £45 per annum. The tip is only 5 mins away but it's the convenience of not having to load it in your car and then unload it. We've also got 2 large compost bins.

I dont object to paying. It's our choice to have a large garden. I can see why some might object though. My objection to Councils is that they are generally cutting services that are most needed, putting up Council tax, pleading poverty and then paying their Councillors exorbitant fees or spending money on "Vanity Schemes".

[pastafreak]

I haven't got a garden, but just checked our city scheme. It appears to be free, with each household entitled to 4 green bags for green waste. This runs from 1 April to October 31.

[jno]

our council does the same, though not as expensive. It's a garden tax, people in upstairs flats don't need it. You're not allowed to burn stuff in London (though sometimes in the dead of night...)

Better than it used to be, though. There was no garden waste collection, you couldn't put it in with regular rubbish, couldn't take it to the tip, couldn't burn it.

[Ryzen]

And guess what....the money made from the 'scheme' goes to pay for the increase in fly tipping clean up costs.

[Togo]

I have said it in the past and say it again. The whole council waste collection scam is nothing more than a disgraceful manipulation of the save the planet eco loon movement that has been propagated to create an industry for the unemployable. There should be legislation introduced that give us all the option to opt out of the council virtue signalling cash cow that is now the Holy grail so all the town hall tyrants. Private rubbish collection would cost us all about a third of what the councils squeeze out of us. We should have the cost of the, ne'er do well petty fogging little Hitlers in the town halls, waste collections highlighted and separated from the enforced taxation that keeps them in idle luxury. We could all then use private collection companies that are all subject to the same laws and eco regulations as the councils are but do not hide behind them to enforce the creation of non jobs, false economies, law unto themselves regulations, and a punishment regime to tickle their own fancies.

[Tuvok]

£36 PER bin

[pixie374]

We would have to pay for green waste collection here, although it is free in the next village.

[Prudie]

I must live in a cocoon of oblivion in that we have paid £40 pa for a fortnightly collection and I have always thought it was brilliant.

[Butterbun]

Fortnightly collection and £40 per year.

[Ryzen]

Yes Prudie £40 pa is brilliant..however you are already paying for the collection within your council tax..and you are clearly happy to pay again.

[Prudie]

Well that's why I said oblivion. I'm not sure how I'm already paying for it in my council tax, it's an optional thing that not all my neighbours choose to pay for. If I didn't subscribe they wouldn't collect.

[TonyV]

So does mine you pay for a separate bin to put garden waste in, what I cannot fit into either bin or compost is negligible.

[tonyav]

Garden waste fortnightly collection free.