HOUSEHOLDERS in Stroud can now sign up to a new green scheme to have their garden waste collected and recycled.

Stroud District Council is introducing the optional, paid-for service, which will allow residents to have their garden waste dealt with quickly and efficiently.

Cllr Simon Pickering, chair of the council’s Environment Committee, (Green / Slade) said: “Residents can sign up to the new service now although collections will run from February to November each year.

“There’s an initial, one-off £20 charge for the wheelie-bin and an annual subscription fee of £36.

“Whilst we are already lucky enough to have a large number of residents who are dedicated to home or community composting, this collection service will be a welcome option for many keen gardeners.”

Subscribers to the service will receive a brown wheelie-bin for grass clippings, twigs, leaves, bark, hedge cuttings, flowers, plants, weeds, fallen fruit and small branches, which will be collected fortnightly over the 10-month period from February to November.

The annual subscription fee equates to a charge of £1.64 per collection.

Cllr Pickering added: “When the service begins it will be available to the majority of households, however if you currently have to use a green bag rather than a wheelie-bin for your recycling you should contact the council to see if the service is available to you.

“Households which generate a large amount of garden waste can have more than one bin and it’s also perfectly fine for neighbours to club together and share their garden waste bin.”

The introduction of the garden collection waste scheme will see the current system, where paid for garden waste bags are used to collect garden waste and sent to landfill, come to an end in January.

Residents can sign up online at www.stroud.gov.uk/gardenwaste or by calling the council on 01453 754424.