 Much-needed savings to protect services for the most vulnerable
Like other local authorities across the country, we are facing our worst financial pressure for generations; with rampant inflation, reducing income and the increasing need to help residents.
On 29 Sep, the council’s decision-making executive will consider proposals to reduce the number of blue rubbish bags supplied to households or stop supplying them entirely, in order to make savings to protect vital services for the most vulnerable.
The proposed reduction of blue bags from 80 to 54 per year would avoid an increase of £149,000 in our budget, while stopping them would save £463,000.
Potential changes to weekly waste collections
In addition, rising costs will make our weekly waste collections become unsustainable soon and we can’t continue with our rubbish and recycling collections as they are now.
We want to hear your views on proposals like having food waste collected weekly, but with rubbish and recycling collected on alternate weeks. A change like this could save about £1 million per year and increase the recycling rate.
You will receive a postcard with more information. You are urged to take part in the consultation from 10 October to 5 December on our Engage platform and let us know how the potential future changes would impact you.
To learn more, visit our website.
 Garden waste collection cost to go down from 1 October
As autumn is in the air, you may be finding leaves floating to the ground. Our garden waste collection may come in handy during this time of the year.
From 1 October 2022, you only need to pay £35 for this fortnightly service and have your garden waste collected until the end of March 2023. The last date to place an order is 31 December 2022.
Our garden waste collection service runs from 1 April to 31 March the following year. The cost for a 12-month service this year (1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023) is £70.
If you are new to the scheme, a brown wheeled bin with a sticker showing you have paid for the current collection year will be delivered to you within 15 working days after a payment is made.
If you already have a bin, the sticker will be posted to you within 10 working days, following your payment.
Please note your bin will only be emptied if you are displaying the current year’s sticker.
You can order the service online on our website.
 Dispose of polystyrene in your blue bag
If you need to dispose of polystyrene, please put it in a blue rubbish bag on your collection day.
If it is too big to fit in your blue bag, you can take it to one of the household waste and recycling centres in Reading and Bracknell.
The polystyrene, if mixed with recycled material in your green bag, can contaminate the recyclable material.
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