Midlothian residents encouraged to sign up and pay for garden waste collections

Residents who signed up for the service last year are currently still receiving collections. These are additional collections to what was planned and are to compensate those affected by a temporary suspension of the service during the first lockdown.

The 2021 collection service runs from March 15 until November 19 at a cost of £35 per brown bin. Residents are encouraged to sign up early in the payment window, open until February 18, to avoid a break in their service and to ensure they receive as many collections as possible. There is no discount for signing up to the service later in the year.

As part of the council’s ‘Digital by Design’ vision, payments for the service will once again be taken online via the council’s online payment portal. Those who do not have access to the internet should ask a friend, neighbour or family member for assistance with signing up.

Due to the current “Stay at Home” regulations, libraries are closed and the council is not able to offer help with signing up online this year. Staff are focussing on emergency and critical service delivery only at this time.

If you need help to sign up and pay for the scheme while libraries are closed, please call 0131 270 8915 on Saturdays between 9am and 1pm when council staff will be able to take the payment over the phone.

Councillor John Hackett (Lab), cabinet member for waste services said: “A huge thanks to all the households who signed up for our garden waste service last year and for understanding when we had to temporarily put collections on hold.

"We have tried our best to make it up to you by adding additional collections well into the New Year.

“Our collection service remains the easiest way to take care of your garden waste. The £35 cost covers fortnightly kerbside collections from March right through to November and works out at just £1.95 per collection.

“We hope residents continue to see the value in the service and sign up.”

Residents who do not want to pay for the service can take their garden waste to one of Midlothian’s Recycling Centres for free disposal.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​