Pre-lockdown garden waste collections is set to restart in Felixstowe and the rest of East Suffolk later this month after being impacted by Covid-19.

Following disruptions to garden waste collections in East Suffolk due to Covid-19, the service is now set to return to normal on Monday 28 September, in accordance with the original bin collection dates.

This means that households who subscribe to the service will once again have their green bins collected on the same day as their blue bins. Subscribers should refer to their collection calendar or check the online calendar to find the details of their collection dates.

Cllr James Mallinder, East Suffolk's cabinet member for the Environment, said: "We greatly appreciate the support and understanding residents have shown – both for the impact Covid-19 has had on our garden waste service but also for our crews who have been working incredibly hard throughout.

"We are now at a place where we can return to our normal schedule for the garden waste service, meaning that households who have signed up for the scheme will have their green bins collected on the same day as their blue bins from 28 September."

Even with the garden waste service returning to normal, Cllr Mallinder is keen to remind residents that home composting is a great way to get rid of surplus garden waste and some food waste, such as vegetable peelings.

He said: "Although we offer a kerbside garden waste collection, we still want to encourage residents to compost at home, where possible. It's a really easy and environmentally friendly way to dispose of surplus garden waste and appropriate food waste, and also helps to significantly reduce carbon emissions which is good for the planet and the environment. The small changes we make in our behaviour will make a big difference over time.

"Most garden waste and uncooked food can be composted and turned into free nutrient rich food for gardens, which can be used on vegetable gardens and flower beds or placed around trees to improve the soil structure and nutrient content."