Universal free garden waste collections ‘unnecessary’

Council leaders have stressed that introducing universal free garden waste collections is ‘unnecessary’ and will not solve the issue of garden waste ending up in landfill.

The Local Government Association says it wants to work with government to minimise the amount of garden waste sent to landfill. However, rolling out free garden waste collections is not the answer. New free garden waste collections, which the government wants to be rolled out in 2023/24 in England, would cost £564 million a year as well as an initial cost of £176 million to implement and roll-out.

New analysis by the LGA reveals that introducing universal free garden waste collections could require 600 extra HGV drivers at a time when there is a shortage and cost local taxpayers more than half a billion pounds every year. Council leaders believe that it should be for individual councils with their residents to decide how to carry out waste collections locally and whether the costs of providing additional green waste collection should be met by taxpayers or just those that use the additional service.

David Renard, LGA environment spokesperson, said: “We want to work with the government to reduce green waste being sent to landfill. But introducing blanket free garden waste collections is unnecessary. The proposals risk having an adverse impact on local roads, increasing traffic, and pumping out more carbon emissions and making air pollution worse. Hundreds of extra HGV drivers would also be needed, at a time when there is a shortage. At the very least if the government is to proceed, it should fully fund it in the Spending Review.”