With the end of winter on the horizon (however distant it feels) many gardeners will be itching to get back outside. Signing up for the council’s fortnightly garden waste collection service is a good way to get on with the business of preparing for spring.

It would mean you no longer need to take your of unwanted cuttings, leaves, twigs and grass to the recycling centre, saving you time that you can spend in the garden instead. And it is every bit as environmentally friendly because the collected plant matter is recycled into high-quality compost.

Prices have been frozen for annual subscriptions, which start from April and run until March 2019. New subscribers can join more than 10,000 other households in the borough currently benefiting from the collection by signing up from £75 – with concessionary rates of £57.50 available for those aged over 65 and those on means-tested benefits.

Subscribers can choose between using green bags or a green wheelie bin, depending on how big their garden is and how much waste they produce.

Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, the council’s cabinet member for transport, environment and leisure, said: “For the thousands of people across the borough who use it, our garden waste collection service is more convenient than making a trip to one of our local recycling and reuse centres.

“Gardeners can decide to share a bin and split the cost with their neighbours for even better value on the service.”

Current subscribers will be sent renewal notices advising on how to make payments via post and email, and should renew before April 1 2018 to avoid disruption to their collections.

You can pay for the council’s garden waste service up-front or spread the cost by direct debit. To sign up and for further information, visit www.ealing.gov.uk/gardenwaste

Composting as an alternative

If you want an alternative, why not try your own compost bin? Read more in our story on composting.