Households urged to limit green waste as collections are cut

THE Royal Horticultural Society has produced some tips for gardeners to deal with their green waste, including leaving pruning till the autumn and making a wormery.

The list of suggested alternatives comes as more than a third of English councils suspend garden waste collections amid staff shortages in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

At least 125 local authorities have temporarily halted the collection, which is not a statutory service, or delayed its reintroduction for the summer months. They include more than 70 councils that charge fees for picking up garden waste from householders. Many say they will extend existing subscriptions so people do not lose out.

Dozens more have closed schemes to new subscribers or have warned of disruption as they protect staff and cope with them falling ill or self-isolating.

A small number of the local authorities that have suspended their green waste service collect bins with garden and food mixed together, and they are telling households to instead put kitchen scraps in the rubbish bin. Householders are being urged to try to limit the waste they generate from extra gardening.

David Renard, of the Local Government Association, said: “Councils are seeing an increase in household waste, which may be due to people spending more time gardening and mowing their lawn as they follow the guidance to stay at home.”

The RHS is now encouraging members to have a compost bin or heap and to use grass cuttings as mulch. Meanwhile, twigs can be tied up and used to make nesting areas for insects.