by Emma Draper

Douglas Council says that garden waste collections in the capital have been ‘successful’ since they began.

The chair of the environmental services committee, Falk Horning, says composting garden waste on the island is cheaper than if it’s burnt.

The collections start this month and will run through the year until November, while bins can be requested from the council if residents want them.

Mr Horning says over 3,900 bins have been delivered to residents overall.

Speaking about the collections, he says: ‘The garden waste collections have started again, and it will be the same like last year.

‘It's still grass cuttings, leaves, hedge cuttings, twigs, bedding from guinea pigs and rabbits and so on that can go into those bins. Please don't throw any other stuff in there which cannot be composted.

‘Originally the council ordered 4,200 bins and 3,900 of these have been delivered to Douglas residents upon their request.

‘After it’s collected, it goes to companies just next to the Eastern Civic Community Centre and it gets composted there.

‘It's like a commercial compost operation, and the Council is paying for that service. For every turn that we drop off waste to be composted, the council has to pay something - but it's a much smaller fee than if it had to be burned.

‘It's not only good for the environment, as the stuff gets composted, but it's also better for the accounts its finances.’