Ipswich Borough Council bins free garden waste collections

Why it matters: Households that don't subscribe to the new £50 annual service will see their garden waste collections end after March 2025.

The details:

• The council will provide fortnightly collections over 50 weeks of the year for subscribers

• Households must sign up by Friday, 14 March, to ensure uninterrupted service from 1 April

• Subscribers will receive a permit sticker within 14 days of registration

• Anyone signing up after 14 March may face up to two weeks' delay in receiving their permit

What they're saying: "The decision to charge for garden waste collections has not been taken lightly, and like so many other local authorities, the Council has been hit by significant cost increases outside of its control," says Councillor Phil Smart, Ipswich Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Environment and Transport.

For context: Ipswich Borough Council says it is implementing one of Suffolk's lowest garden waste collection fees.

What's next: The council is writing to all households with brown bins about the changes. Residents can sign up at www.ipswich.gov.uk/gardenwaste

The bottom line: Households wanting to maintain garden waste collections must subscribe to the new service or face losing collections after March.