Brown bin permit holders can have extra garden waste collected this Autumn

Residents who have purchased a permit for the district council brown bin garden waste collection service in South Oxfordshire or the Vale of White Horse can have extra garden waste collected for free, on their normal scheduled collection day only, between 27 October and 7 November.Permit holders can put out a maximum of four additional sacks of garden waste, per brown bin subscription, next to their brown bin.To be eligible for a collection, please follow this guidance:

• Only present natural garden waste, such as cut grass, plants or small branches.
• Please use standard sized (60L) black refuse-style sacks or boxes / containers which combined total no more than a standard bin full.
• Please DO NOT use bags larger than 60L (including one tonne builders' type waste bags) – our crews will not collect any garden waste from these, as they are too heavy to lift and empty into the vehicle.
• Bags and containers must be left open so crews can easily empty them into the rear of the vehicle and be able to check there are not contaminants.

All the garden waste collected will be taken to a facility near Wallingford where it is composted. The compost is then sold on to local farmers for use on their farmland as a soil conditioner.Cllr Sam James-Lawrie, Cabinet Member for Environment at South Oxfordshire District Council said: "We know many residents are busy tidying up their gardens in the autumn, so this is a great opportunity for permit holders to recycle that extra waste responsibly. By offering these additional collections, we're making it easier for households to keep their gardens in good shape while ensuring garden waste is turned into valuable compost."Cllr Hayleigh Gascoigne, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, Climate Action and Nature Recovery at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: "We're pleased to provide this service in the autumn, which helps residents clear their gardens before the winter. All the garden waste collected will be transformed into compost and used by local farmers – it's a simple and sustainable way to return nutrients to the soil."More information about garden waste collections, including how to buy a permit, can be found on the South Oxfordshire garden waste page or the Vale garden waste page.