Thousands of homes use Ealing Council’s garden waste collection service because they find it to be convenient and easy to use. You can even share the cost by having a joint bin with neighbours.

More than 15,000 households in the borough use the collection service to get rid of their cuttings, leaves, twigs and old plants, instead of making the journey to the tip.

SEVEN THINGS TO KNOW

1. Garden waste cannot be put in your general rubbish bin – if it was, then your bin would not be collected. There are three ways to dispose of it: Take it to Acton or Greenford re-use and recycling centres; use a compost bin; or sign up for the garden waste collection service (see below)
2. The collection service costs £75 a year (1 April to 31 March)
3. 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
4. You can recycle: Grass cuttings, twigs and hedge trimmings, plants and weeds, flowers, leaves, and garden prunings
5. The council collects the garden waste fortnightly and sends it to a special composting plant where it is turned in to high-quality compost – which is then used for agriculture
6. If garden waste is not recycled and is sent to landfill instead it rots without air, it creates methane – a greenhouse gas 20 times more harmful than CO2
7. By signing up to the service, you will automatically become a member of The Gardening Club, which will provide you with information and advice for your garden, and give you exclusive access to competitions and giveaways.

HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE?

If you already subscribe to the collection service and have provided your email address you will be sent an email reminding you how to renew, or you can do it now online at www.ealing.gov.uk/gardenwaste

You can pay up-front or by direct debit. If you are a new subscriber, you can start by filling in information at www.ealing.gov.uk/gardenwaste or by calling customer services on 020 8825 6000 from today (Monday, 6 March).

SPLITTING THE COST

Simmi Gill has been using the garden service since 2012. She has a small garden and shares a single green wheelie bin with her next door neighbours in Southall. They split the annual cost between them. Simmi said: “It’s convenient and easy, because all I have to do is put it in the wheelie bin and it’s taken away for me.”

By splitting the cost with your neighbours like this it would only cost you the equivalent of 72p each per week.