Increase in brown bin take-up in Peterborough, but reduction in multiple bins after large price rise

In the first 30 days of the annual scheme there have been sign-ups for 16,915 bins to place garden waste, compared to 16,410 in 2020/21 - an increase of 505.

Collections for garden waste have risen from £45 to £50 this year, while the charge for two bins is now £75.

And it appears the latter increase has had an impact with the number of households with multiple bins reducing from 3,975 to 3,555.

In contrast, the number of households with a single bin has risen over the same period from 12,435 to 13,360.

Brown bin charges were introduced in 2014 by cash-strapped Peterborough City Council which said it will lose around £1 million a year if it was to scrap the fee.

However, critics of the scheme believe it has contributed to reduced recycling rates with people instead putting their garden waste in their black bins.

Council leader Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald recently defended the increases, stating: “As you may well be aware, the level of funding we receive from central government has been drastically cut in recent years, meaning we have to look for savings and service efficiencies where we can.

“This is the first increase to the brown bin charge since 2018/19 and it will enable us to upgrade our current fleet of refuse vehicles and develop cleaner, greener services, benefitting residents and the environment.

“So, we feel it’s the right thing to do. After all, the service is not statutory and, considering the rise only equates to roughly 10p extra per week for most customers, we believe it still delivers excellent value for money.”