Dacorum Borough Council scraps free garden waste collection and will introduce charge for service

Dacorum Borough Council has agreed it cannot afford to “hold out” on collecting garden waste for free any longer and will introduce charges next year.

The council has agreed to introduce a £45 per bin per year charge for green waste collections when the service resumes on February 27, 2023.

At a meeting at The Forum in Hemel Hempstead on February 15, Dacorum Borough Council’s cabinet members heard there are 55,861 green bins for garden waste across the district. The free service costs the taxpayer £1.375million each year, with approximately £64,740 of this recovered by charging households which have a second or third bin.

With the exception of the Hertsmere and Stevenage boroughs, where the optional garden waste service is combined with the statutory food waste collection, Dacorum was the final borough to collect garden waste free of charge.

Earlier in 2022, Dacorum Borough Council’s cabinet agreed they must find £3.6million in savings over the next four years.

Bovingdon, Flaunden and Chipperfield councillor Graham Barrett said: “The council is facing significant financial pressures in the medium term so the proposal here is that the council introduces costs for green waste collection.”

Council leader Cllr Andrew Williams said Dacorum had “held out” on providing free collections longer than other councils, while deputy leader, Leverstock Green’s Cllr Margaret Griffiths said: “It is a choice to have a green garden waste collection.

“Perhaps some of our residents only have one or two bags each year to take to a recycling centre, or perhaps some of our gardeners prefer to compost at home.”

A report into the new charges in Dacorum reads: “In 2012, it was estimated that a third of councils operated a chargeable green waste service. By 2019, this figure had risen to 72 per cent of local authorities.

“A common theme across authorities moving to a chargeable service is that it is considered fairer to offer a paid service for those who want it, rather than add to everyone’s council tax bill whether they use it or not.”

It adds there is “no evidence” charging for the services reduces recycling rates, based on a study of St Albans City and District Council, which introduced charges in 2021. People receiving benefits will get a £10 discount.