More time to sign up for new garden waste service

The early-bird discount deadline for the new garden waste collection service in North Somerset has been extended.

A new annual charge of £50 per bin is coming in April and more than 18,000 households in the area have already signed up.

However, the process has not been easy for everyone and we’re really sorry for the problems that some residents have experienced while trying to sign up.

There were some initial teething problems with signing up and paying online.

There has also been an overwhelming number of phone calls into the council’s contact centre, resulting in some long wait times.

We’re working hard to fix these issues and some improvements have been made this week to make the online experience better.

If you haven’t signed up yet, the early-bird discount deadline has also been extended.

You now have until Friday 16 April to get the 10 per cent discount off the annual collection cost for one bin.

When you sign up you won’t need to enter a password which will make it easier whether you’re registering for yourself or on behalf of a relative, friend or neighbour.

The system will automatically calculate any extra discounts you’re entitled to if you, or the person you’re signing up on behalf of, receive a council tax discount.

Garden waste collections will continue as normal at the beginning of April in case people who’ve registered haven’t received their permits by then.

Remember, home composting is the cheapest and most environmentally friendly way of dealing with your garden waste.

As part of the new service, more than 1,000 compost bins have already been ordered by residents.

Both online home composting courses are now fully booked but three additional dates have been added:

• Wednesday 7 April - 1.30-2.30pm
• Thursday 8 April - 8-9pm
• Monday 12 April - 1-2pm

For more information or to order a discounted 220-litre black compost bin, made from 100 per cent recycled plastic, for just £10, visit www.n-somerset.gov.uk/composting

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