Garden-loving residents who want to take advantage of the garden waste collection service – which is being re-launched by Uttlesford District Council – are being urged to sign up early to claim a FREE garden wheelie bin, normally priced at £20.

Those who sign up or renew their membership to the scheme by March 1 will also be entered into a prize draw to be in for a chance of winning free pick-up from their homes, fortnightly, from April to November. Ten lucky winners will be drawn from the prize draw.

Cllr Susan Barker, Uttlesford’s cabinet member for environment, said: “Following the successful launch of the scheme in 2012, where at least 3,500 residents took advantage of the service, we are pleased to offer this again to our residents. Recycling is such an important issue and here in Uttlesford we are pleased that we already have a high level recycling rate.

“By offering this new service we can encourage our residents to maintain and uphold our high levels which go a long way to help protect and enhance the environment which we live in.”

Residents will be able to take advantage of a fortnightly collection of their garden waste from their homes from April until March 2015 (with a break over Christmas) for a fee of £40 – equivalent to just under £2 per collection.

Information leaflets will be delivered, with the new bins, to those people who have signed up to the scheme. The leaflets will show what can and cannot be put in the bin. A letter will also be issued giving details of the collection week and day and a collection calendar.

Ron Pridham, head of street Services at the district council, said: “I would like to remind residents that the collection day for the garden waste bins will be different from the current collection day for the other bins for the majority of residents, so people do need to read their information pack carefully.

“Those people who sign up after March 1 will be required to pay £20 for the bin, so we do urge residents to sign up now, so that they can receive their bin free of charge and be entered into the prize draw.”

Residents who are interested in joining the scheme will need call the council’s customer service centre on 01799 510510 to register.