THE FOREST of Dean District Council has issued advice about garden waste collections for this year.
Residents hoping to receive 2024-2025 collections still have time to apply by accessing the online portal. The licence costs £55 and it covers an annual subscription from April 1 2024 to March 31 2025.
The garden waste licence is a sticker which needs to be displayed on your green wheelie bin to be collected.
Forest of Dean District Council says residents should try to ensure the bins are dry before placing the sticker on. Any bins without the garden waste licence sticker will not be collected.
Collections are fortnightly and bins need to be out on the kerbside by 7am.
The Council also reminded residents what they can and cannot put into their garden waste bins. Acceptable things include:
Grass cuttings
Leaves, bark and tree pruning
Twigs and small branches
Tree stumps
Bedding from rabbits and guinea pigs
Cut flowers
Plants and weeds
Unacceptable things for your bin include:
Bricks, stones or soil
Turf
Plastic bags, pots or seed trays
Cat and dog faeces
Herbicides and pesticides
Noxious weeds such as Japanese Knotweed or Ragwort
Fencing and posts
Cardboard or paper
Metal or glass
The Forest of Dean District Council has also warned about using the bins for food waste. “It is important you do not put your food waste into your garden waste bin.
“We do not collect food waste that has been presented in green garden waste bins because it needs to be treated using a different treatment process, which complies with the Animal by-products regulations to stop future outbreaks of diseases such as Foot and Mouth.
“Any garden waste which is contaminated with food waste will not be collected and you will have to separate it out before the next collection,”warned a council spokesman.
Residents are advised to check updates about collections via the council’s social media pages or website. You can check your collection day online or by contacting 01594 810000.