Monmouthshire County Council’s major review of its recycling services means that its garden waste collection service will cease through the winter months and this year it will come to an end on Friday 30th November before recommencing on 4th March 2019. As a result, the authority will no longer collect and recycle Christmas trees when the festive season is over.
Residents continuing to buy real Christmas trees can dispose of them in a number of ways:
· Garden waste permit holders can retain their tree until early March when it will be collected as garden waste collection resumes.
· Trees can be taken to one of the council’s four household waste and recycling centres at Usk, Five Lanes, Llanfoist and Mitchel Troy to be recycled
Alternatively, a potted tree could be planted after Christmas and reused while artificial trees can be used year after year without the nuisance of loose pine needles.
Cllr Bryan Jones, Monmouthshire’s cabinet member for waste and recycling said: “I know that the Christmas tree collection is a very popular service and one that will be missed. However the decision to end it came whilst making savings to our garden waste service. During the winter months there is a substantial reduction in service use meaning the service is underused and inefficient.
“As a direct response to the increasing pressure on council budgets we were faced with the difficult decision to either increase the charges significantly to cover a full year service, or deliver a seasonal service and maintain current charging levels. I hope that residents continue to buy real, buy local and get the tree they want this year.”
The move is part of a package of changes to waste and recycling in Monmouthshire. In coming months changes include the introduction of new vehicles with the ability to collect food waste separately from garden waste. This will enable food waste to be used to generate electricity and the garden waste composted on local farms.
Glass recycling boxes will be rolled out across the county in March 2019 following a successful pilot in the Abergavenny area. Residents will receive a box for glass to be collected separately, adding value to the material collected.
For more information on waste and recycling in Monmouthshire: https://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/garden-waste