Garden waste collections in Teesdale to be expanded

We are to offer the service to 7,000 more households across the area from March, with sign-ups possible from today (1 February.)

We currently operate a bin-based garden waste collection service across County Durham. Last year there were over 66,000 subscriptions for the service including people in parts of Teesdale.

People in other Teesdale communities have up until now had their garden waste collected by Rotters Community Composting. This has been with our support in continuation of arrangements dating back to the days of Teesdale District Council.

As Rotters has now told us it will not be providing the service from this year, we have put in place plans to offer our garden bin collections to residents in Teesdale communities we have not previously served.

John Shannon, our strategic waste manager, said: "We are pleased to now be able to offer our garden waste collections to even more residents in Teesdale from March.

"People can sign up to the service from today and we would appreciate it if those who are interested could do so online if possible as this helps us add them to our system quickly, although there are other ways to subscribe.

"Everyone who signs up will be provided with a bin at no extra charge but we would ask them to bear with us as there are potentially thousands to deliver."

We are in the process of writing to the 7,000 households who will now be able to access the service providing information on the collections and details of how to sign up.

The cost to subscribe for 2023 is £38 for the garden waste season and that includes the initial cost of the first bin and delivery of it. Anyone signing up before 1 March will receive all 17 fortnightly collections through to November for that price.

Residents signing up are advised that their garden waste collection day may be on a different day to their rubbish and recycling collections. Collection date calendars and a sticker will be provided to each subscribing household.

Sign-ups will not be possible for the 2023 season after 1 September, 2023.

Mr Shannon added: "We would like to place on record our thanks to Rotters for providing such a good and very popular service to people in Teesdale for almost 20 years.

"We were very sorry to hear those collections were ending but we are now looking ahead to offering our own service to anyone who would like it across Teesdale."