The new registration window for the council’s garden waste collection service year – October 2019 to October 2020 – opens on Wednesday 26 June 2019.
The current garden waste service year ends on 6 October 2019. To have your garden waste bins emptied after this date, in the next service year which runs until 4 October 2020, you must renew your permit or sign up for one by 2.00pm on 7 August.
Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “Since the new garden waste service started in October 2018, Edinburgh residents have helped us turn more than 9,000 tonnes of garden waste into compost, which is used on farms, gardens and green spaces.
“If you’d like your garden waste picked up during our next service year – which starts in October – please make sure you sign up or renew your permit by 2pm on by 7 August. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to continue collecting your bin after 7 October when the next service year starts unless you’re signed up.
“We’ve held the subscription fee at £25, which is one of the lowest annual fees in Scotland among local authorities operating a similar service. This works out at just under 50 pence a week. Brown bins will be collected every fortnight, with a break over the Christmas period to help manage higher tonnages of household waste and recycling over the festive season.”
Letters will be sent to all (67,435) current subscribers to the service advising them on how to renew their permits. Letters will also go out to households who are eligible for the service but have not yet signed up or expressed an interest.
More than 2,000 people have already registered their interest in becoming subscribers.
ABOUT THE SERVICE
Permits cost £25 per brown bin
The next service year will run from 7 October 2019 – 4 October 2020
Brown bins will be emptied once every two weeks, except over the festive period when there will be no collections between 16 December and 14 January
There will only be one more opportunity to sign up to the new service year (in January 2020) – the payment will remain at £25 and permits will be valid until 4 October 2020
For residents who receive Council Tax Reduction (formerly Council Tax Benefit) the service will continue to be free, but you do still need to register for the service. Other council tax discounts, such as single occupancy discount or garden aid, do not qualify for this reduction.
Information
The deadline to register is 2pm on 7 August and the quickest and easiest way to do this is on the council website.
Register for the service at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/gardenwaste (you need to register for an online mygov.scot account first).
A one-off payment of £25 will be taken by debit or credit card, unless you’re exempt from paying because you receive Council Tax Reduction.
Once the council has received your payment, they will send you a new garden waste calendar and a permit sticker in late September to put on your brown bin before the new service year starts. They can only empty bins with valid permit stickers.
Other ways to pay
You can pay by debit/credit card or cash at the council Customer Hub on the High Street or South West at Westside Plaza locality offices only.
If you don’t have access to the internet you can use the self-service kiosks at one of the five local council offices (you’ll need to have registered for an online mygov.scot account first or have access to email on a mobile). Your local library also offers free internet access
– North East Office, 101 Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH16 4DS
– North West Office, 8 West Pilton Gardens, Edinburgh, EH4 4DP
– South East Office, 40 Captain’s Road, Edinburgh, EH17 8QF
– South West Office, 10 Westside Plaza, Edinburgh, EH14 2ST
– Customer Hub, 249 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1YJ
You can register and pay over the phone by calling 0131 608 1100 (press option 1, then option 9, then option 1). The council say they expect phone lines to be busy and there may be long waiting times. Phone lines are open Monday – Thursday, 8.30am – 5pm and Friday 8.30am – 3.40pm.
The council does not accept payment by cheque.
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