A reminder has gone out to householders across Darlington to sign up for the new garden waste collection service to ensure bins can be delivered in time for its April launch.
More than 3,100 householders indicated their interest in the ‘opt in’ service, many of whom have already paid their annual £35 fee.
But time is now running out for anyone else interested in the scheme to sign up and have their bin delivered before the first collections are made in April.
Payment must be made online, and once received the householder will be issued with a 240 litre wheeled bin to store garden waste prior to collection. Those residents with larger gardens can also opt to purchase extra bins, up to a maximum of four per property.
Information on what can and can’t be placed within the bin will be provided – details can also be found in the ‘frequently asked questions’ section of the website (see below) – along with a timetable of collection dates.
A sticker will also be supplied which should be attached to the bin so collection crews can easily see that the service has been paid for.
Councillor Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for leisure and the local environment, explained:
“There’s been a great response so far and staff have been out delivering bins to those who have already signed up for the scheme. We just want to remind anyone else who is interested to go online, sign up and pay their fee as soon as they can to ensure they receive their new bin in time for the first collections in April.”
The new service, which is self-funding and will not incur additional costs to the council, offers a fortnightly collection for 30 weeks of the year, between April and November.
The deadline to sign up and pay in time for the start of collections in April is 15 March.
Householders can still sign up for the service after this date but your bin may not be delivered in time for the first collection. You can also subscribe anytime during the year, but you will only receive the remaining the collections of this year and you will still pay the same price.
For more details please visit www.darlington.gov.uk/gardenwaste – where you can also pay your annual fee for the service.