Brown bin collections begin again this week in Flintshire – Have you got your yellow tag?

With spring just around the corner, Flintshire Council’s garden waste collection service begins this week BUT your brown bin will only be emptied if the new yellow tag is attached.

Charges for garden waste collections in Flintshire have increased this year by up to £5 a year, though discount incentives for early online sign up have been in place. (more info here)

Despite widespread anger (mainly on social media) to brown bin collection charges, more than 40 per cent of householders in the county signed up in the first 12 months, generating almost £1m for the cash-strapped authority’s coffers.

This year, the council is moving to a tag system instead of a sticker for the brown bins – pictured above.

The yellow tags show the Flintshire “F” logo and a unique serial number. 

Tags are being sent directly to households along with instructions of how to attach the tag to the brown bins. 

If you have signed up for the service, your tag should have dropped through the letter box in the past week or so. 

“The tags must be fixed to the handle of the brown bin and be clearly visible to the collection crew, otherwise they may not be collected. 

The Council will not empty garden waste bins that do not have a valid tag attached.” The council said.

Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Countryside, Councillor Carolyn Thomas, said:

“All the garden waste that is collected is composted locally in the County and contributes to our national recycling targets.

Last year, we collected over 9,800 tonnes of garden waste and we collect from over 33,000 households. 

We want to make sure that we encourage more people to recycle their garden waste.”

All garden waste is composted at our facility in Greenfield, Holywell and people are encouraged to put bark, grass cuttings, leaves, hedge clippings, twigs and small branches in the garden waste bins. 

Brown bins cannot be used for fruit and vegetable peelings, food waste, cardboard, paper, soil and rubble or pet litter, animal bedding and animal waste.”