Green bin subscriptions to be automatically extended until February 2025 amid calls for refunds
Wrexham Council has confirmed an subscription extension for its garden waste collection service, despite no guarantee that green bins will be emptied before next February.
Today’s announcement comes off the back of a reduction in green bin collections due to the ongoing strike by members of Unite.
The union, which has staged industrial action since the start of September, is calling on the council for a fair pay rise after “enduring years of wage stagnation.”
The current round of strikes is expected to continue until the end of November.
However Unite has warned of a winter of action as part of their campaign for a fair pay deal.
Wrexham Council has today confirmed that those who pay to have their garden waste emptied will have their subscription extended to February 2025.
It comes after the local authority faced calls for refunds from some on social media, who have not had their green bins emptied for several weeks despite paying the annual fee.
But the council has warned that garden waste collections may not take place until next February as it manages resources for the winter months.
The local authority has for several stopped collection green bins over the winter months – however this could mean that residents go six months without their green bins emptied.
A spokesperson for Wrexham Council said: “As you’ll be aware, we’ve been facing significant disruption during the period of industrial action from Unite.
“During this time we’ve been focusing the resources we have available (approximately one-third of our usual resource) on collecting black bin waste and recycling (including food waste). We simply haven’t had enough resources to allow us to collect garden bins as well.
“We know this is causing concern and frustration for people who have signed up for this service prior to, or during the strike.
“With the current strike expected to last until the end of November, we’re trying to be realistic about when we’ll be able to resume this service; as it’s likely to take some time for us to catch-up with all other waste and recycling before the end of 2023.
“Therefore, we’ve taken the decision to extend the green-bin collection period until the end of February 2025. We’ll resume collections from February 2024, and your subscription period will run until February 2025.
“So, if you’ve already subscribed, your subscription will continue until February 2025 (you will not be required to renew in September 2024 as your sticker will remain valid until February 2025).
“Depending on resources, we may also be able to do a green bin collection sooner than February (which will be included in your current subscription) but as resources are changing daily (and we approach winter weather challenges), we cannot be sure that this will be the case, and so we’ll communicate with you further nearer the time about whether this is possible.
“So, if you’ve already subscribed, you don’t need to do anything. If you haven’t, you can still sign up in preparation for collections starting again.”
Earlier this week Wrexham Wrexham Council have confirmed that a temporary three-week cycle will be introduced while the strikes continue:
The council say the ‘new, temporary collection schedule’ will start from Monday October 9:
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Your black/blue bins and food waste one week
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Your dry recycling and food waste one week
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No collection for one of the weeks
(Top pic: The most famous bin in Wrexham)
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