This means that all garden waste will continue to be collected until 31 October – after which residents will have to pay for the subscription service.
The stickers were unable to stick to bins in damp weather and also were not “tamper proof” – which the council has said caused the delay.
Those who subscribe to the service will be sent a sticker to affix to their garden bin to show collection crews which bins to empty.
The council has found a new supplier able to print and supply the required stickers. The replacements will be sent out by the end of October.
Garden waste service to minimise waste
Shropshire county has one of the highest quantities of waste per household in the country – costing the council an estimated £35 million a year to collect and dispose of. This equates to 6% of the council’s budget.
The council’s recent Waste Minimisation strategy linked Shropshire’s high quantity of total waste to a comparatively large quantity of garden waste which was 50% higher than similar authorities. Residual wase in Shropshire is comparable to the national average.
The garden waste subscription is an attempt to reduce the amount of garden waste produced. A 12-month subscription costs £56 per bin and will cover the period 4 November 2024 to 31 October 2025. A payment window is open until 31 March 2025.
Ian Nellins, Shropshire council’s deputy leader and cabinet member with responsibility for waste management, said: “More than 57,000 people have subscribed to our garden waste service so far, but the bin stickers have not been produced to the required and requested specification. For that reason, we have cancelled the contract with the provider and will not be paying for a sub-standard product.
“This is clearly frustrating, especially for the council staff who have been working hard to develop, manage, administer and promote this service, and the customer services staff who have been busy answering questions and helping people with their subscriptions. What has been achieved in a short period of time should be commended and I want to thank those staff for their efforts.
“Though we have experienced a few issues I’m really disappointed that some councillors are choosing to publicly criticise the roll-out of the garden waste subscription service. In just four weeks we have raised more than £3 million that will help us continue to deliver essential services for those residents who need us most.”
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