Good news for green-fingered locals, as Barking and Dagenham Council will be continuing with its Green Garden Waste subscription service for 2019/20.

Not only is the paid-for service set to be extended for the next two years, but it will also be increased from 16 to 19 collections a year, and it will come at no extra cost to residents.

The decision to extend the service was made as a result of a resident's survey, which expressed a desire for more collections. These will help to accommodate the autumn leaf fall; an issue which has caused problems for local people in the past. It will also help to increase the borough’s overall recycling rate, in line with the Mayor of London’s recycling targets for 2030.

From April 2017, anyone wishing to have their Green Garden Waste picked up was required to sign up for a fortnightly collection at a cost of £80 for two years. The service has so far been a huge success, with over 7,900 residents paying for a subscription for 2018.

Barking and Dagenham Council is one of the only London boroughs who currently offer a Green Garden Waste collection service, which has so far been self-sustaining, with operational costs covered by the subscription fee.

Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Public Realm, said: “We are listening to what residents want when it comes to their Green Garden Waste collections, and I am pleased we are delivering a service that residents can continue to see a benefit from. Adding an extra three collections to the service will help local people to carry on doing their bit in helping us to produce less rubbish.”

“I am committed to meeting the Mayor of London's target for increasing our recycling rate to 50% by 2030. By recycling even more Green Garden Waste, we will be making good progress to achieve that goal.”