Last week’s Newton News asked important questions about the new garden waste scheme.  The answers are as follows:
1. The County Council is regretfully aware that some people will struggle to find the £20. Neighbours will be able share a bin, alternatively, if people wait and join the scheme in September, the cost will only be £10.
2. Unwanted brown bins will be collected free of charge by the Council, after a few months’ delay to give people time to change their mind.
3. People who choose not to buy into the service will be able to dispose of their garden waste by composting, or by taking it to the Heighington Lane recycling centre (as everybody did before 2004).  Whilst aware that some people occasionally sneak in the odd small bag of garden material, DCC cannot allow general use of the ‘ordinary’ bins for green waste.  The Council now sends no waste at all to landfill – it has entered into a contract with a firm which burns its general household waste to make electricity.
4. The scheme has been costed on the basis of a 40% take-up involving 60% of the waste.  One benefit of the new scheme is that anyone in Aycliffe will now be able to join; under the old garden waste scheme only two-thirds of residents in the south of the county were provided with the service.
5. Sale of compost has been factored into the price; it costs the Council £23 a tonne to have the waste composted.
The Council is consulting on the scheme, which will be considered by Cabinet after the consultation.