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In the news: Three for Free! Basildon Council announces three additional weeks of winter Garden Waste Collections at no extra cost

Basildon Council is pleased to announce three additional weeks for its Garden Waste Collection service this winter.

The garden waste collection service runs from 1 April to 31 March each year. Garden waste is usually collected 46 weeks of the year for those signed up to the service, with a service break of up to six weeks over Christmas. 

This year, the service will have a reduced Christmas break of three weeks, meaning garden waste will be collected for 49 weeks of the year for those signed up to the service. 

Garden waste collections will be added for the following weeks: 

  • Week commencing Monday 2 December 2024 
  • Week commencing Monday 9 December 2024 
  • Week commencing Monday 16 December 2024 

The service will pause for only three weeks this year, from 20 December 2024 to 12 January 2025 inclusive, with services resuming on 13 January 2025. At that time, all households can have their real Christmas trees collected for free, whether they subscribe to the garden waste service or not.  

This adjustment marks a significant increase in the number of weeks the service will be run each year, allowing residents to maintain their garden and dispose of leaves during the festive period at no extra cost. 

Cllr Aidan McGurran, Basildon Council's Cabinet Member for Environment and Leisure welcomed the news: "We're delighted to increase the number of weeks our Garden Waste Collection service operates for this year. The service will stop for just half the time it did last year and was originally planned for this year. 

"Many residents made it clear they were unhappy with the six weeks stoppage last Christmas - and we have listened to them. By increasing the number of collections over the winter period and reducing the service break to just three weeks, we are taking a positive step forward in ensuring that our residents can keep their gardens tidy during the festive season at no extra cost.  I would like to thank our dedicated waste crews for their ongoing efforts to keep our streets clean." 

For further information on the Garden Waste Collection service and additional updates, visit Basildon Council's website.

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Published 22 October 2024