Your waste services are changing

The way you dispose of your garden waste will be changing from the end of this month following an extensive review of waste management that was carried out to help make the Council’s approach to waste more sustainable in response to rising costs and changing legislation.

With a real need to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and to increase rates of recycling, the Council hopes that these changes will help with its commitment to improving the environment, one of its main renewal and recovery priorities in response to COVID-19.

Options for dealing with your garden waste

Residents will now have three options to choose from when disposing of their garden waste:

• You can purchase a garden waste permit which this year will run from the end of March to December.
• You can apply to the Council for a free home composter which is yours to keep and is available to apply for throughout the 2021 garden season.
• You can dispose of garden waste for free at the recycling centres on Western Road, Kilmarnock and at Garlaff, near Cumnock.

A major benefit of having these options is that the Council will be able to reduce its carbon footprint due to its heavy vehicles having to make fewer journeys to the processing facility to deposit garden waste. The Council also wants to encourage more people to use home composters to deal with waste at its original source and to recycle the compost in their own gardens with the benefits of soil improvement. Advice on home composting is available at: https://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/Housing/RubbishAndRecycling/Recycling/Recycling-Composters/Homecomposting.aspx

As part of its budget and financial plan for 2021/22, the Council also announced last week that it will invest £140,000 in the Corporate Enforcement Unit to tackle fly tipping incidents which have been on the rise during the pandemic. A strong line will be taken against any offenders who choose to fly tip waste or drop litter. The Council is grateful to all of the local residents who have been working with the Council’s Outdoor Services team to help keep East Ayrshire beautiful and wants to encourage everyone to do their bit to stop environmental crime.

Garden waste permit

If you choose to purchase a garden waste permit, these are available to order now from the Council at a cost of £30 per bin per year. In setting this charge, East Ayrshire Council carried out comparisons with other councils who run the scheme and has tried to keep it as low as possible.

Residents are being asked to purchase permits as soon as possible to ensure they are registered to receive the four-weekly collections which will run this year from the end of March through to December 2021. You can view the recycling calendar at: https://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/Housing/RubbishAndRecycling/Collection-days/ViewYourRecyclingCalendar.aspx Although your calendar will show a garden waste collection, you will only receive this service if you have purchased a garden waste permit.

Once a permit has been purchased either online or by phone, a permit sticker will be issued which should be stuck to your garden waste bin using the instructions provided so that refuse collectors know which bins should be emptied.

Permits can be ordered by logging in to your customer account at our.east-ayrshire.gov.uk. If you don’t already have an account, it’s quick and easy to sign up. Anyone who does not have access to the internet or requires assistance can call 01563 554400 (select ‘Waste Management’) and someone will help you order your permit over the phone.

Here to help

The Council knows that its residents are passionate about their communities, their gardens and green spaces and is keen to support them. Vibrant Communities and Outdoor Services teams are there to support local residents and community groups, whether that be with community led initiatives such as community gardens and allotments, or through the Council’s garden equipment loan scheme. For further information please contact the Vibrant Communities team at vibrantcommunities@east-ayrshire.gov.uk.

Support is also on hand for eligible residents through the Garden Maintenance Scheme which provides a grass and hedge cutting service several times a year for tenants who are unable to look after their gardens. More information on this scheme is available at https://eastayrshi.re/gardenmaintenance

If you are facing a change in your circumstances or are just struggling with paying your bills, advice, information and support is available from the Financial Inclusion Team. Call 0800 389 7750 or email info@eamoney.co.uk. Additionally, please check out the Caring, Kind & Connected pages at www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk.

Find out more about garden waste disposal, including Frequently Asked Questions, at www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/gardenwastepermit.

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