RESIDENTS across Ross-on-Wye and the wider county can now sign up for a new, greener way to dispose of their garden waste as Herefordshire Council prepares to launch a subscription-based collection service next spring.

The new scheme, due to start in March 2026, will replace the current collection system that relies on single-use plastic sacks. Instead, households will be provided with either a wheelie bin or reusable garden sacks, depending on the space available at each property.

Collections will take place every two weeks, excluding a short two-week break over Christmas, and all waste gathered will be composted and transformed into a nutrient-rich soil improver.

This material will then be made available for residents to purchase at local household recycling centres, helping to promote a circular economy within the county.

The annual cost of the service will be £60, which works out at around £2.40 per collection, plus a one-off delivery fee of £10 per bin. The service has been designed to be flexible, allowing neighbours to share bins, larger gardens to add extra bins, and smaller properties to make use of the reusable sacks option.

As an added incentive, residents who sign up before 9AM on Monday, December 1 will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win one of ten free annual garden waste subscriptions.

Councillor Elissa Swinglehurst, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “We have made every effort to ensure the new service is simple, affordable, better for the environment and supports our commitment to a more sustainable Herefordshire. By moving away from single-use plastic sacks, we’re reducing unnecessary waste and encouraging more responsible resource use”

Residents can sign up now by visiting the garden waste collection service page on the Herefordshire Council website or by contacting customer services. Full terms and conditions for the prize draw are available online.