Garden waste charges

[trinidad]

Last year, LB Southwark introduced a charge for the garden waste service of ?30.00. This year, the charge increased to ?40.00, value for money?

[KalamityKel]

No. Well maybe. It depends how you look at it.

On collection day it's just mixed in with the food waste. It's not always collected either. The bin men on collection day check the bin to see if there's enough worth emptying (IME) and if there's only a small amount in the bin will leave it.

So really you're just paying for the food waste.

However, there is the argument to those that use it a lot - gardens with plenty of greenery that needs to be managed - it's also convenient and helpful to have on hand when ever you need it. You can also offer out to your neighbours if they might need to get rid of anything (if you're on good terms with them of course).

[alex_b]

We have a small garden and so opted for the brown paper sacks. A single ?20 pack has lasted us more than a year and we still have plenty left. I don?t think ?40 is value for money.

[trinidad]

hi alex, interesting to learn about the brown sacks, where do you get these?

[Siduhe]

You can buy them from Southwark and then book a collection online:

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling/garden-waste-collection-subscriptions?chapter=2

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/wasteservices/gardenwastebags

Service is pretty good - once I've booked a collection I just leave them out with my brown bin - but if you don't book a collection they don't get taken in my experience.

[Lynne]

I've always found that they collect them anyway. Perhaps it varies according to the individual collectors.

[Growlybear]

If you have regular garden waste, I think it's great value. The service is really reliable - we've never had a missed collection and our bin is emptied every week regardless of the amount that's in it. Southwark charge far less than some other boroughs.

[ed26]

Agree with KalamityKel. It can be counter-productive to have the brown bin. The guys come along and empty the food bins into the brown bin. When the lorry arrives, the guys sometimes leave the bin if there isn't a lot in there. So I end up with the food waste from three flats festering in my garden waste bin for a week or more.

On the other hand, it's ?40 for up to 52 collections a year so I can't grumble about value for money. If anything, I go for several weeks without using it and could then use 3 bins in a weekend. Would be good if bin subscribers could also put bags out with the bins.

[singalto]

I share a bin with my neighbour which works very well.

[alex_b]

trinidad Wrote:

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> hi alex, interesting to learn about the brown

> sacks, where do you get these?

Suduhe beat me to the answer, and I was wrong it?s ?15 a pack not ?20. For our garden we don?t use more than 10 sacks a year. I think at one point you could also get them at the libraries but I don?t know if that?s the case post-COVID. Booking a collection is very simple and they?re collected on bin day with the food waste.

[gabys1st]

do you have to pay for collection of brpown bags, thanks. Oh and do you have a diirect line phone no for booking collection? Thank you.

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> trinidad Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > hi alex, interesting to learn about the brown

> > sacks, where do you get these?

>

>

> Suduhe beat me to the answer, and I was wrong it?s

> ?15 a pack not ?20. For our garden we don?t use

> more than 10 sacks a year. I think at one point

> you could also get them at the libraries but I

> don?t know if that?s the case post-COVID. Booking

> a collection is very simple and they?re collected

> on bin day with the food waste.

[alex_b]

gabys1st Wrote:

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> do you have to pay for collection of brpown bags,

> thanks. Oh and do you have a diirect line phone

> no for booking collection? Thank you.

You don?t pay again for collection, just to purchase them from the council (the collection fee is included). I don?t know if you can arrange collection by phone, I?ve always used the website that Suduhe linked to.

[trinidad]

Just another question, i assume once i have purchased my bags, I simply just leave them out during collection time?

[alex_b]

trinidad Wrote:

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> Just another question, i assume once i have

> purchased my bags, I simply just leave them out

> during collection time?

You are supposed to book the collection online and then just leave them out with your normal collection (they are collected with the food waste and the subscription garden waste bins). I think I?ve seen some people say that they get collected even if you don?t book a collection and others say that they don?t get collected unless you book - so who knows?! I generally do gardening on the weekend, request the collection online on Monday and they are collected with our waste on Wednesday.