The local authority is the latest to switch from a free to a paid-for service for green waste as it seeks to cut costs in order to react to a 25% reduction in its funding from central government since 2010.
Prior to the start of July, Sutton offered a discretionary, free fortnightly garden waste collection service of two bags per household between April and December.
Around £736,000 was set aside for the service each year, and around 4,700 tonnes of green waste was collected from households in 2013/14. According to the council, switching to the new service will contribute £750,000 to the savings required per year.
Following a consultation with residents in late 2014, the council approved plans to move to the paid for service – for which over 12,000 residents have signed up to participate.
Choice
Residents were given a choice of three container sizes at different prices, with collection of one 240 litre bin costing £39 per year, a 140 litre bin £36 and two 240 litre containers costing a total subscription of £62 per year.
These fees are set to increase when the service recommences in April 2016, running through until December with a 240 litre container cost £59 per year for the full allocation of 20 collections for the year, £54 for the 140 litre container and £94 for two 240 litre containers.
Roll out
Contractor CK Group began the roll out of new containers across the borough in May, on behalf of container manufacturer MGB Straight.
Charges for green waste collection have largely been seen by local authorities as a way of keeping a discretionary service running without having to incur significant costs from other areas of the waste collection budget.
Increasingly over the course of the last five years councils up and down the country have introduced charges – although this can often come at the cost of reduced participation rates from residents, many of whom may be unwilling to pay for a service that was previously provided at no cost.
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