Luton's green waste scheme resumes next month - will you be signing up for £40?

Luton residents have just a few weeks to sign up for the 2022 green waste collection scheme before collections get underway again.

The council-run system begins in February, and costs £40 a bin per season, which runs until the end of the year.

The scheme was set up last year and has exceeded expectations.

Luton councillors were told only around 7,500 people were expected to sign up. The actual figure was more than 22,000 in the first year.

Service manager for street scene Alex Greene told councillors in November: "We began in March this year hitting the ground running.

"This service has done extremely well over the year prioritising the service and making sure it happens. We've not had to suspend a single service.

"The total income is £862,000. The total cost of the service is £841,000."

Councillor Shaw, who's the portfolio holder for housing, waste and climate change, told the council's overview and scrutiny board at the time: "We put a full [garden waste] service back into the town, which people wanted, at £40 annually.

"It's one of the cheapest costs for garden waste service in the country and we made it a success.

"A lot of councils had to cut services because of a lack of drivers. We gave first-time supplement to HGV drivers and managed to keep hold of most of them.

"That's had to be put into this year's account, but we've not had to put up the annual cost any further because of the £20,000 surplus.

"We got some extra wagons, which are more environmentally friendly. Our fuel costs are up by 8p a litre. Everything's gone up, but we've managed to keep this price the same as it was last year.

"Hopefully more people sign up because it's been such a great success. That's a win, win for everyone in Luton."

The council is also looking to encourage more recycling. Currently burying waste is costing the council £9million in landfill tax each year.

You can sign up for the green waste service here.

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