Why will garden waste bins now cost £40 a year?
The collection charge could generate £1.7 million a year for the city
Liverpool City Council is set to introduce a garden waste collection charge of £40 per year as part of the budget options for 2022/23.
The yearly charge is part of an effort to find £24.5 million of savings next year, in addition to £465 million since 2010.
The council have said that rather than cutting frontline services, they are having to introduce additional charges for some things, to offset the impact.
Presently, households without gardens have been subsidising the cost of providing a green waste collection to those who have one.
The new charge works out at around £2.11 a collection, and the money that is generated – an estimated £1.7 million a year – will help Liverpool City Council protect and maintain valued frontline services such as libraries, parks and leisure centres.
Hundreds of other councils across the country have already introduced a similar fee, including councils in the local region.
When will the new rules come into action?
It has not yet been announced when the new rules will come in to place, but it is expected to be sometime in the late spring, or early summer.
When the new scheme is introduced, only green bins registered with the council under the new chargeable service will be collected.
Residents will get a sticker which they can put on their bins, so that they are easily identifiable.
In addition, all properties that have signed up to the scheme will be listed on a separate database.
Liverpool City Council said: 'Should a resident not wish to not take part in the scheme, then the green bins will be removed at some point in the future, or alternatively they can be kept, in case the resident wants to opt in at a later stage'.
The council have said that they are looking into ways they can ease the burden for those who can't afford the extra fee ,and that hardship funds are being considered for the most vulnerable.
How else can I dispose of my garden waste without taking part?
Green waste can be taken to the household waste recycling centres within the city, in Old Swan or at Otterspool.
Alternatively, home composting is an option – details are available on the Council's website.
Please note that garden waste is not permitted in the purple or blue bins and fines will be applied.