Over 17,800 households have signed up so far for a subscription service to have their garden waste collected by a Cumbrian council.
With 32 days to go until charges for green waste come into force in Westmorland and Furness, the council said 20,600 subscriptions had been taken out.
Westmorland & Furness Council agreed to introduce the subscription – charging people £60 per bin per year – as part of a raft of measures to help it face significant financial challenges.
The garden waste subscription service began on April 1 and people can sign up until June 28.
From June 29, only bins displaying a valid subscription sticker will be emptied.
General household waste and recycling collections are not affected.
Cumbria Crack asked the authority what the breakdown of take up was in each of the council areas, but it did not respond.
When Cumbria Crack asked how many households were eligible, the council told us that there were over 119,000 households in Westmorland & Furness.
It said all households were eligible but added: “It is important to recognise there are a large proportion of properties in the area which are terraced homes or flats and may not require the service.”
People signing up for the first time and who do not currently have a garden waste bin will receive their first bin for free.
Additional bins can be bought for a one‑off fee of £25 each, and every bin – including the first – requires an annual subscription.
Garden waste collections will continue on fortnightly from April to March, with a pause during December, January and February, when garden waste levels are typically at their lowest.
The authority said garden waste collection was a discretionary service, and the introduction of a subscription, agreed as part of the council’s 2026/27 budget at a meeting of Full Council on 26 February, ensured that those who used the service contributed to its cost.
For residents who choose not to subscribe, alternatives such as home composting and taking garden waste to a Household Waste Recycling Centre remained available, it added.
The introduction of the garden waste subscription is the first phase of a wider programme to harmonise waste and recycling services across Westmorland and Furness.
To subscribe, visit westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/gardenwaste or call 0300 373 3300.
