Garden waste subscription service start date put back one month

Shropshire Council’s new garden waste subscription service will now begin on Monday 4 November 2024, one month later than initially planned, after the council’s supplier failed to produce the garden bin stickers to the required and requested specification.

This means that all garden waste will continue to be collected until Friday 1 November, and will only be collected after this date if people have subscribed and paid.

Those who subscribe to the service will be sent a special sticker to attach to their garden bin, to show collection crews which bins to empty. However, the first stickers sent out by the council’s supplier last week were not ‘tamper proof’ as requested and found not to stick to bins in damp conditions. As a result the council quickly found a new supplier able to print and supply the required stickers.

People who have already received a sticker will now receive a replacement, with everyone who has subscribed so far set to receive their sticker by the end of October 2024.

A 12-month subscription costs £56 per bin and will now cover the period 4 November 2024 to 31 October 2025. A payment window is open until 31 March 2025.

This means that those who have already subscribed will still get 12 months of collections.

Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s deputy Leader and Cabinet member with responsibility for waste management, said:

“More than 57,000 people have subscribed to our garden waste service so far, but the bin stickers have not been produced to the required and requested specification. For that reason we have cancelled the contract with the provider, and will not be paying for a sub-standard product.

“As soon as the issue with the stickers came to light we acted quickly to put it right. We have sourced a new provider who will be able to produce stickers to the necessary specification and send them to subscribers by the end of October, with the service now beginning on 4 November.

“This is clearly frustrating, especially for the council staff who have been working hard to develop, manage, administer and promote this service, and the customer services staff who have been busy answering questions and helping people with their subscriptions. What has been achieved in a short period of time should be commended and I want to thank those staff for their efforts.

“Though we have experienced a few issues I’m really disappointed that some councillors are choosing to publicly criticise the roll-out of the garden waste subscription service. In just four weeks we have raised more than £3 million that will help us continue to deliver essential services for those residents who need us most.”

People wishing to subscribe to the garden waste collection service can visit the Shropshire Council website then click on ‘subscribe now’ to visit the MiPermit website where they can sign up and pay.

They can also call  MiPermit on 0345 520 7007 and select option 2, or visit Shropshire Local in Shrewsbury or Ludlow for assistance.

They can also ask someone to subscribe on their behalf.

For more information visit www.shropshire.gov.uk/gardenwaste