Green Bins

Cheshire East Council has announced it will charge residents £56-per-year for green bin collections. The fee is the highest in the North West.

Cheshire East Council says the changes are being made to address a £20m funding gap it currently faces. The council estimates the changes will raise around £4m.

Council documents show a reduction to the recycling rate is expected as some households choose not to pay the subscription. Plans were approved by the environment and communities committee on Thursday, July 27.

The council says other options for raising funds were considered, including reducing black bin collections from every two weeks to every three, and a further reduction in the provision of household waste recycling centres.

Four of Cheshire East’s eight neighbouring local authorities do not charge for garden waste collections. The charge is £16-per-annum more expensive than Cheshire West & Chester’s £40-per-year introduced in February 2022. 

Nearby Stoke-on-Trent City Council charges just £15-per-year for its garden waste collection subscription. A total of 21 of the 39 North West local authorities currently charge for garden waste collections, with the subscription costing £37.80 on average.

Cheshire East residents will be able to pay their garden waste collection subscription from October this year. Those that do not pay will see their green bin collections cease in December 2023.