People in parts of Cumbria can sign up for a subscription to have their garden waste collected from today.
Garden waste charges will come into force in June across Westmorland & Furness.
People who wish to continue having garden waste collected by the authority will have to subscribe at a cost of £60 a year per bin.
The window for signing up opens today, Wednesday April 1, and close on June 28.
From June 29, only garden waste bins displaying a valid sticker will be picked up by refuse collectors.
General household waste and recycling collections remain unaffected.
Westmorland & Furness Council said it understood the move was not popular, but said garden waste collection was not a statutory service.
It added: “Introducing a charge ensures fairness with those who use the service contributing to its cost while helping the council protect essential services for all residents.”
The authority introduced the charge because it said it faced significant financial challenges.
From April 1, the council said it would issue clear guidance on how to subscribe to the garden waste collection.
For those newly subscribing to the service, the first garden waste bin will be provided for free.
Additional garden waste bins can be supplied at a one-off cost of £25 per bin, and each bin – including the first – requires a subscription fee of £60.
Once payment is made, a sticker will be posted out to be attached to the bin. Without a sticker, garden waste will not be collected after June 28.
Any additional bins ordered will be delivered following completion of signing up to the service.
Collections of garden waste will be made every two weeks and will run from April to March with no collections during the non-growing months of December, January and February.
To sign up, visit Westmorland & Furness Council’s website here
