Important changes to how you can dispose of garden waste

We have changed how we dispose of garden waste in Epsom & Ewell, and we launched a garden waste kerbside recycling service in November 2006.  We no longer accept garden waste in rubbish bins.

Why do we recycle garden waste?

Previously, Epsom & Ewell was one of the few councils that continued to permit the disposal of garden waste in rubbish bins.  Garden waste made up around a quarter of the waste in our rubbish bins and was buried in landfill sites.

This was not sustainable.  Landfill sites generate 27% of the UK's methane emissions.  Methane is a greenhouse gas more than twenty times more powerful than carbon dioxide.  Consequently, government now restricts the amount of biodegradable waste that councils can send to landfill.  Severe fines can be imposed if these amounts are exceeded.

In spring 2006 we asked residents to comment on waste and recycling in a questionnaire sent to all households.  Residents told us they believed that we should act for the good of the environment and to avoid rising costs.

We therefore introduced a garden waste kerbside recycling service and no longer accept garden waste in rubbish bins.

How can I dispose of my garden waste?

Home composting is the most environmentally friendly option, and is great for your garden!  We can help with subsidised compost bins and lots of great advice.

Surrey County Council's Civic Amenity Site (the "Tip") at Blenheim Road accepts garden waste for recycling and is open 7 days a week.

Join our garden waste kerbside recycling service which collects garden waste on a fortnightly basis for a small annual charge.  See below for details of how this could work for you.

Who can join the garden waste kerbside recycling service?

All households in the Borough can join.  Collections are not available to commercial organisations.

What can I recycle?

We collect a range of organic garden waste:

Grass cuttings Plants & weeds Leaves Prunings & clippings Flowers Straw & hay Twigs*

* To help the processing of material by our composting agent, we must restrict the amount of woody material entering the recycling stream.  As a guide, twigs and small branches up to the width of your wrist may be recycled.

There are items, such as ivy, bindweed and other weeds, which you would not normally wish to compost in a home compost bin.  However, they can happily be recycled through our garden waste recycling service.  This is because the higher temperatures used in the commercial composting process effectively break down the material and render it safe for use.  The same goes for the first grass cutting taken after the application of weedkiller.

Similarly, yew cuttings can be recycled through our service but you may wish to donate any yew clippings to Limehurst Ltd who will take them to extract a particular chemical used to develop medicines for cancer treatment.  You can call Limehurst Ltd on 01243 545455.

What can't I recycle?

The service collects garden waste only, and cannot accept any kitchen waste.  We cannot compost larger branches and woody material.  Non-organic materials, such as plant pots, soil, stones etc. cannot be collected.

Please do not recycle the following using this service:

Any kitchen food waste (including vegetable peelings, even if from vegetables grown in your own garden) Household rubbish or plastics Flower pots, trays or plastic sacks Soil*, stones, bricks, gravel, rubble or ashes Fallen fruit Large branches** or tree trunks, bark or wood Pet waste

* Root balls will be accepted for recycling if substantially shaken free of soil.
** As a guide, please do not recycle branches that are thicker than the width of your wrist.

Why can't I recycle kitchen food waste?

After the 2001 Foot and Mouth epidemic regulations were brought in to ensure that any harmful bacteria in food waste are effectively killed.

Therefore food waste of all types - either meat or vegetable - must now be composted at higher temperatures than is used for general garden waste.  This even includes raw vegetable peelings that have been grown in your own garden.

This high temperature processing technology has not yet been available to us locally.  Therefore we are unable to collect any kitchen food waste.

However, the regulations recognise that many people compost small amounts of kitchen food waste in home compost bins and it remains perfectly legal to do so.

Will I be able to recycle food waste in the future?

Yes.  Surrey County Council is planning to introduce high temperature kitchen food waste processing technology within Surrey.  We therefore plan to offer a separate collection of kitchen food waste for recycling next year.  We will communicate details to residents nearer the time.

Future food waste collections will remain separate from garden waste.  We will continue to compost garden waste using the cheaper, low temperature technology.  This will ensure that we maintain the most cost effective service to subscribers.

What happens to the garden waste I recycle?

After local tipping, the material is composted at Laverstoke Park, an organic farm near Basingstoke, Hampshire.

When will my recycling be collected?

We collect fortnightly, on the same day as your normal rubbish collection.  Subscribers to the service receive a calendar notifying them of their collections for the following year.  Contact us if you require a further copy of your garden waste recycling calendar for 2008.



IMPORTANT NOTE:  Your garden waste will be collected by a separate vehicle which may well call at a different time to your normal rubbish collection.  It is important to ensure that your garden waste is put out for recycling by 6.30am on the day of your collection.  We may not be able to return for recycling which was not left out in time for us.

Please place your garden waste bin or sack out for collection on the kerbside, next to your rubbish bin by 6.30am.

Does this affect my normal waste and recycling collections?

No.  There is no change to existing weekly rubbish and kerbside recycling collections.

I live in a flat.  Can I join the service?

Yes.  But you may wish to consider communal collections where households share a number of central bins or sacks.  Please contact us for details.

How much does it cost?

You can choose from:

240-litre brown wheeled bins for only £30 each per year.

60-litre reusable sacks for only £7.50 each per year (each sack is designed to hold a maximum 10kgs of material).

A discount of 50% is available to recipients of certain means-tested benefits.  If you wish to receive this discount please visit the Town Hall to join the service as we will require sight of original documentation to confirm your eligibility.

Subscriptions are based on a twelve-month, non-refundable agreement.

Are assisted collections available for the elderly or disabled?

Yes.  Subject to approval, collections can be made from your front door or side gate.  Please advise us of this requirement when you call to join.

How do I join?

Direct Debit is the simplest way to subscribe.  Your full subscription payment will be automatically collected once each year, allowing ongoing, worry-free garden waste recycling.  If you elect to pay by Direct Debit we will notify you each year that we are collecting a further yearly subscription.  To subscribe, simply print a Direct Debit Mandate form, fill in your details and post it to the Town Hall.

You can also join the service online as well.  Please note that payments made by credit card attract a 1.5% charge.

Alternatively, call us on 01372 732000 to join, and for details of how to pay.  Please note that payments made by credit card attract a 1.5% charge.

Please note: if you wish to receive the discount available to recipients of certain means-tested benefits please visit the Town Hall to join the service as we will require sight of original documentation to confirm your eligibility.

How do I renew my annual subscription?

Direct Debit customers need take no further action.  We will automatically notify you each year that we are collecting a further yearly subscription and your service will continue uninterrupted.

If you subscribe using any other payment method we will contact you in advance of your subscription expiring to enquire whether you wish to subscribe for a further year.

What if I have a large load of garden waste to recycle?

Large loads of garden waste can be collected for a separate payment.  A minimum amount of a half lorry-load applies. Costs are:

• £110.00 for a half lorry-load
• £220.00 for a full lorry-load

Please note: each request must be first assessed by our Operational Services department.  We will check that the material is not contaminated with non-recyclable items prior to loading it onto the vehicle. We will only be able to offer a collection service for garden waste if it is uncontaminated and fully suitable for recycling.

For further information and to request the service please call us on 01372 732000 or e-mail us.

How will this affect our recycling performance?

Prior to the introduction of garden waste recycling we were recycling just over a fifth of our total household waste.  Garden waste recycling has already helped this rise to around a third.

For further information please contact us on 01372 732000 or e-mail us.

Related Pages

Kerbside recycling
Recycling at the Civic Amenity Site, Blenheim Road
Recycling at Borough Recycling Centres
Home composting
Domestic refuse collection
Collection of Bulky Items
Commercial waste