As the gardening season begins, Tendring District Council (TDC) is reminding residents of its garden waste collection service - a convenient way to dispose of hedge trimmings, grass cuttings and other garden material.

The service provides fortnightly collections from your home, saving time and reducing trips to the tip. Many households find it especially useful as gardening activity increases during the Spring and Summer months.

Residents can sign up quickly and easily through the council’s online My Tendring portal, with a one-off £35 joining fee and an annual service charge of £55.

For those who already use the service, now is also a good time to check your subscription is still active and paid-for ready for the year ahead. Anyone who puts out a garden waste bin without a current subscription will have a tag attached to it as a reminder to renew their plan.

Councillor Adrian Smith, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “With Spring on the way, many people are getting back out into their gardens — and our garden waste collection service is a simple, reliable way to deal with the extra clippings.

“The new tags are a helpful prompt for anyone who may have forgotten to renew. The sign up and renewal process is quick and easy so residents can focus on enjoying their gardens.”

Anyone with an enquiry or question about their subscription, contact the team at gardenwaste@tendringdc.gov.uk with their customer or account reference number and address.

Full details about the garden waste service are available at www.tendringdc.gov.uk/departments/garden-waste.