Medway Council is going to start charging people in the area for collecting extra food and garden waste. From next spring onwards, any person producing more than 240 liters per week of organic waste could face an annual charge of £40.

Medway Council, which is based in Kent, has announced some changes to its policy on food and garden waste collection. People who send off a lot of food and garden rubbish from spring next year will be charged for extra collections.

What Are the New Charges?

If you live in Medway and create more than 240 liters of organic waste per week, the council will ask you to pay £40 a year for the extra collection of rubbish. That is going to be a new rule under a redesigned waste collection service approved by the council cabinet.

Currently, Medway Council is one of a few in the country offering free weekly food and garden collections. All this changes under the new subscription service.

What Do You Get for Free?

A free bundle of one 240-liter wheelie bin or two brown sacks and a 23-liter food waste bin will continue to be provided to residents. If you want more than that, then you will have to pay the new charge.

Why Do They Have to Charge?

At the council meeting, Cllr Simon Curry stated that financial pressures had put the council in a redisposition to charge for the additional service. He believes those requiring the service will gladly pay the £40 charge in view of the fact that compared to other councils in Kent, it is cheap. For example, Dartford charges £49 annually while Thanet charges £68.52 for similar services.

Fairness and Financial Issues

Cllr Teresa Murray added that this is also about fairness. Flats generally produce less organic waste than houses with gardens. At the moment everybody pays the same, yet some are getting more service for their money. The new charges will rebalance this.

Possible Problems

There are fears some residents will try to get around the new charges by hiding extra food and garden waste in their regular rubbish. Those risks leading to contamination costs, which could be expensive for the council. The report estimates it could cost the council up to £10,000 in contamination costs if as few as 2% of residents pay the supplement with the remainder concealing their waste.

Encouraging Residents to Subscribe

Despite these concerns, the council is still hoping that the lower fee, compared to other areas, will encourage people to subscribe to the new service. The council believes that only a few residents produce enough waste to require an extra bin.

When Will This Start?

The new service is due to start in spring 2025, with collections beginning in May or June. This is assuming successful contract negotiations with Medway Norse—the firm responsible for collecting waste on behalf of the council.

What’s Next?

This is in view of the fact that the council’s Cabinet has already agreed to the plan, and it now becomes a matter for Cllr Curry and the council’s director of place, Adam Bryan, to work on a detailed implementation plan. It is part of a wider redesign aimed at trying to improve waste management in Medway.
Medway Council has taken these measures to ensure that their waste collection services are not weighed against the demands of fairness and otherwise on financially viable terms. Although the new charges may present an adjustment for some, the Council believes they all help provide better service in the long run.