Residents can now sign up for this year's garden waste collections in Sunderland.

Registration is now open for garden waste collections, and residents with a garden are being encouraged to sign up before Friday 28 February to guarantee receiving all 17 fortnightly collections between March and November 2025.

This year garden waste will be collected from Tuesday 25 March, with a subscription fee of £38.50. Anyone who signs up after Friday 28 February may not receive all the collections, but the price will remain the same.

Garden waste collected from brown bins is taken to a facility where its first shredded and then naturally processed into compost.

There are many benefits to recycling your garden waste. These include cutting disposal costs while turning waste into a useful and valuable soil conditioner, for landscaping and gardening. It's also a natural method of processing material which prevents unnecessary waste and helps reduce your carbon impact.

Sunderland City Council's Cabinet for the Environment, Net Zero and Transport, Councillor Lindsey Leonard said: "By turning garden waste into compost, you're not only helping the environment, but also supporting a greener, more sustainable future for everyone."

"While signing up for the collections is optional, garden waste collections play a vital role in helping our community recycle more and reduce the amount of waste sent for energy recovery. It's more convenient for residents to allow us to dispose of the garden on your behalf."

To sign up and find out more information visit www.sunderland.gov.uk/gardenwaste

Use the 'find my bin day' service to check when to put your garden waste bin out for collection at www.sunderland.gov.uk/bindays

If you currently don't have a garden waste bin or you would like to order an additional garden waste bin, call 0191 520 5550 or visit www.sunderland.gov.uk/gardenwaste