NEW CHARGE FOR ADDITIONAL GREEN BINS 

A charge for emptying households’ additional green bins will be introduced from 6 October, following the decision made in January by Cambridge City Council’s Environment Scrutiny Committee.

The council needs to make savings of more than £6 million over the next four years and has been looking at a range of options to reduce expenditure and increase income in order to meet this figure.

The council will continue to offer a garden and food waste service to all residents but will be charging £30 per year to empty each additional green bin. Approximately 5% of city residents will be affected by this charge.

Cllr Peter Roberts, Executive Councillor for Environment, Waste and Public Health, said: “The vast majority of residents have one green bin and should continue to use this for their garden and food waste. A small number of residents have an additional green bin, which they will need to pay for should they wish to continue using it. We need to maintain a good service for all our residents, in an expanding Cambridge, with fewer resources. Green bin collections are not a statutory service, but they are highly valued, so it’s important that we keep this service, but those that have something additional should pay extra.”

Residents who have more than one green bin are asked to visit www.cambridge.gov.uk/greenbin before 6 October to pay for their additional green bin or to arrange for their additional green bin to be removed if they do not wish to pay for it.

Letters are being delivered over the coming weeks to all residents affected with further details of this charge.