Introduction of charging for brown bins

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council began the issue of brown bins – those used for the collection of garden waste – in 2005. In 2007, the council’s partner Serco, completed a further issue to ensure that every house in the borough with a garden was provided with a bin free of charge.

Despite this, up to ten requests a day are received for additional or replacement bins. To meet this additional demand, the council would have to add £50,000 to the 2008/09 waste budget – this is the equivalent of a one per cent growth in council tax.

With this in mind, a charge for new or replacement brown bins in now in place. This covers the cost of providing the bin to the resident. The charge is £43.50, inclusive of VAT and delivery.

Bins will still be provided free of charge, if you are able to demonstrate that one of the following conditions applies:

• That your house is newly built
• That you have moved into or within the borough in the last 12 weeks and there is no bin at the property
• That damage has been caused to the bin by an operative (Serco will repair damaged bins where possible)

In addition, the fee may be reduced or waived in exceptional cases of financial hardship.

Ways to apply for a brown bin

Serco will process orders and arrange delivery  for £43.50. There are a number of different methods of paying.

Credit/debit cards

Please ring 01707 379175 to pay by card over the phone.

Cheque and postal order

Please complete the request form and post along with the cheque to the address on the form.

Cash

Please complete the request form and hand this in along with the payment at one of the following reception desks: Campus West in WGC, Hatfield Leisure Centre (Travellers Lane) or Hatfield Swim Centre (Lemsford Road, Town Centre).

FAQs

Q I ordered a brown bin prior to the January deadline. Will this still be provided free of charge?
A Yes, any orders placed before the cut-off point will be honoured.

Q Why have you decided to begin charging for brown bins?
A We feel that by now all properties should have a brown bin, however we still receive requests for additional or replacement bins, up to ten a day. To meet this additional demand, the council would have to add £50,000 to the 2008/09 waste budget – this is the equivalent of a one per cent growth in council tax. Therefore the decision has been made to charge for brown bins.

Q If I collect my brown bin, can I pay a reduced price?
A No. The depot is closed to the public for health and safety reasons, and visitors require a pre-arranged appointment. Therefore it is not possible to collect your brown bin.

Q Who will the brown bin belong to?
A Residents who purchase their bin from 1 January 2008 will own their brown bin. The new brown bins will be identified with both a Welwyn Hatfield Council and Serco logo. Brown bins already issued belong to Welwyn Hatfield Council and carry the Welwyn Hatfield Council logo.

Q I’ve lost my wheeled bin and would like a replacement?
A Please contact the Serco helpdesk on 01707 379175 to order a replacement bin - a charge of £43.50 will be made. To avoid reoccurrence, residents are advised to identify the bin allocated to their address with their house number and street name.

Q My garden waste bin is full, how can I compost extra garden waste?
A While you are free to buy an additional garden waste bin, please bear in mind that we will only empty one bin per property per collection. We have the capacity to empty one bin per household and an allocation of sacks, but not to empty additional bins. Therefore please present additional garden waste in special Welwyn Hatfield Council compostable sacks, or compost at one of Hertfordshire Household Waste Recycling Centres. Additionally home composting helps.

Q Why can’t I present my garden waste in plastic bags?
A All garden waste is sent to be composted. Plastic bags do not compost down and therefore contaminate the material. The council’s special compostable sacks will completely break down to produce no residue. The cost of purchasing the sacks also contributes to the collection.

Q Where can I buy compostable sacks from?
A Please see our webpage detailing the outlets.

Q What happens if I can demonstrate my bin was damaged by staff/machinery whilst being emptied?
A Under these circumstances Serco will attempt to repair the bin if possible, or replace it free of charge if it is beyond repair.

Q Where can I find out more about the garden waste collections?
A Please see the recycling services page.

Q Can I compost more in my garden at home?
A The Hertfordshire Waste Partnership provide subsidised home composters for residents. To find out more please see our garden waste page. By home composting you can compost a much wider range of materials including fruit and vegetable peelings, shredded paper, grass cuttings, shredded card etc.