Composting encouraged as garden waste collections cease

The garden waste collection service provided by Kier and Bridgend County Borough Council has been forced to close for 2020.

The announcement follows news that the contractor used to convert the garden waste into high-quality compost has ceased to trade because of the impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak on their business. All customers of the scheme will receive a full refund automatically.

I’m sure that this will be very disappointing news for many residents. The garden waste collection service has always been highly popular, but the contractor for the scheme has sadly confirmed that they cannot continue to operate while the pandemic is in effect. Arrangements are already in place for customers of the scheme to receive a full refund, and there is no need to contact the council or Kier to enquire about this as it will be paid automatically.

The council hopes to be able to restore the service at a later date, and we are already working closely alongside Kier to try and source potential alternative contractors. In the meantime, we are urging households to compost their garden waste, and to avoid burning it as this can prove to be a nuisance to neighbours as well as affecting air quality.

If you do not have space for setting up composting, the green sacks from the garden waste collection service can offer a convenient storage solution where the waste can break down naturally inside the bags before being reused as fertiliser. Once again, I’d like to thank people for their patience and understanding during these difficult and challenging times. We will look towards restoring normal service as soon as possible.

Councillor Richard Young, Cabinet Member for Communities