All gardens, big and small, need maintenance and autumn can be a busy time in a gardener’s calendar for tidying up and preparing it to grow a bountiful garden next season. But how will you get rid of all the clippings and prunings in an environmentally friendly way? You could sign up for Ealing Council’s garden waste collection service.

The council is launching a half-year discount for this service on Friday, 1 October. It is now just £60.90 for a six-month subscription for residents joining between 1 October and 31 January and just £48.40 for those over 65 or in receipt of means tested benefits.

It is easy to sign up and, once you have, you will receive a green wheelie bin or green reusable sacks. Then, you will be able to place your unwanted cuttings, leaves and twigs in them at the front edge of your property by 7am each fortnight on your normal refuse and recycling collection day.

Getting your garden waste collected from your home frees up your time from making a trip to the recycling centre, giving you more time to sit back and enjoy the garden itself.

Garden waste dumped in refuse bins with other non-recyclable rubbish ends up rotting in landfill, releasing harmful methane gas in the environment, so this should never be done.

Whereas, your collected garden waste in your green bin or green sacks will be taken away to be converted into high quality compost, which ends up helping to grow more things – as well as being kind to the environment.

More than 10,000 residents have already benefited from the council’s garden waste service – and even occasional gardeners can get great value for money by sharing the bin (and cost) with a neighbour.

Half-year subscriptions are available from Friday, 1 October and you can visit www.ealing.gov.uk/gardenwaste for more details and to sign up for the garden waste collection service.