Islanders Encouraged To Go Green With Garden Waste

Spring will soon be on its way and Islanders are being encouraged to join the ‘gardening gang’, by booking a council service.

Subscriptions are now open for green-fingered gardeners who want to join the service for the 2022/23 period.

Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Cabinet Lead for Environment, Waste and Heritage, said:

“Our fortnightly garden waste collection continues to be popular with an increase from 7,000 subscribers over 2019/20 to 10,450 in the current 2020/21 period. Subscriptions can made up until 18 March and are limited, so please don’t delay and sign up today.

“Let us make your gardening life easier by subscribing for your garden waste collection this year. Picked up from your doorstep, it takes the hassle out of driving to the tip and putting heavy wet garden waste in your car boot."

The optional fortnightly scheme lets customers subscribe online for a 240-litre wheeled bin or three re-usable hessian sacks to be picked up from the kerbside for a total cost of £96 per year, working out at £4 a fortnight.

Strategic Manager for Contracts, Waste and Environment, Natasha Dix, said:

“Our garden waste scheme has always been popular and we are encouraging new gardeners to subscribe and reserve your space for 2022. All garden waste collected is composted locally here on the Island and contributes to our national recycling targets.

“Don’t forget you can always sign up and share the cost and load with your neighbour. Alternatively, composting at home is always a low carbon option that is great for your veg patch.”

The council will accept all garden waste such as leaves, grass cuttings and sticks. Please no logs, rubble or soil. Also your garden waste subscription will include a free Christmas tree collection.

Your garden waste service is a ‘one-stop shop’ meaning you do not have to call for collection each time.

How to sign up

In order to book this, you can sign up to an online iwight.com account, if you do not have one already, at the following link: https://www.iwight.com/MyAccount/SignUp.aspx with a valid email address.

Receiving the fortnightly service is easy. Just go to www.iwight.com/Greengardenwaste to fill in some details and click and pay and the service will come to you on your normal recycling week, although it may be on a different day.

If you do not have an email address, call the contact centre on (01983) 823777, with your credit or debit card ready.

The subscription will run from 1 April to 31 March each year, apart from the initial registration period.

New sign ups

If you are signing up for the first time, your bin/ sacks will be delivered within 14 days, with the annual service beginning April 1.

Councillor Bacon added:

“The last year or so has seen our gardens provide a haven of peace and tranquillity during uncertain times and we have really come to appreciate our own green spaces. The service is competitive with other services on the Island and is great for gardeners and garden maintenance people and brings a number of benefits.

“It is a great timesaver, with less trips to the tip and saves on our individual carbon footprints, giving you more time to focus on the garden.”

Existing subscribers whose contract period is due to end will have been contacted or emailed directly in last month (January) about their current subscription, with details on how to renew their subscription for 2022 and beyond. Please check your junk folder.