Sunderland garden waste collections - how much it costs and how to sign up

Sunderland's garden waste collection scheme is open for business.

Registration for the service is is now open, and residents have until Thursday, February 29, to make sure they are eligible for all 17 fortnightly collections between March and November.

This year's collections begin on Tuesday, March 26, and the service has a £37.50 subscription fee - the equivalent of £2.21 per collection.

Anyone signing up after the deadline will pay the same price but may not receive all the collections.

People signing up for garden waste collections are also helping do their bit for the environment as garden waste from brown bins is shredded and processed naturally into compost.

Benefits of recycling your garden waste, include:

• Creating a valuable soil conditioner through the composting process which is used for landscaping and gardening
• Reducing the overall disposal costs at the same time as creating a valuable usable product
• It's a natural way of processing material which would otherwise be sent to waste
• Reducing both the carbon impact and fuel costs of taking garden waste to the Household Waste and Recycling Centre in your own car

Coun Claire Rowntree is Deputy Leader of Sunderland City Council and Cabinet Member for Clean Green City: "We know the environment is really important to people in Sunderland," she said.

"Last year we had almost 30,000 sign ups for garden waste collections which just shows how much our residents care for our environment and make a real effort to recycle.

"Signing up for garden waste collections also helps make the best use of the space available in your other bins and it's a really cost-effective way of disposing of your garden waste."

Grass cuttings, weeds and dead plants, twigs and small branches, hedge clippings, cut flowers and houseplants, shrub prunings and leaves can all be recycled in your garden waste bin.

To sign up and find out more information which includes useful FAQs, visit www.sunderland.gov.uk/gardenwaste

Use the ‘find my bin day’ service to check when to put your garden waste bin out for collection at www.sunderland.gov.uk/bindays

Anyone who would like to order an additional garden waste bin should call 0191 520 5550 or visit www.sunderland.gov.uk/gardenwaste