Residents of Barking and Dagenham Council are being urged to go greener as the council’s popular Green Garden Waste collection service returns.

The service, which costs just £43 for the year, collects and recycles cut flowers, weeds, leaves, grass cuttings, twigs and hedge trimmings.

Residents can take advantage of 19 fortnightly collections between March and December if they sign-up before Valentine's Day, Tuesday, 14 February.

Now in its seventh year, the service saw over 7,500 residents sign up last year and has played a significant part in the council's efforts to meet the Mayor of London's target of having a 50 per cent recycling rate by 2030. The recycling rate in the east London borough rose by 6 per cent last year, building on a 10 per cent increase in 2021.

Councillor Kashif Haroon, Cabinet Member for Public Realm and Climate Change, said: "Climate change might have felt like a problem we've just seen on the TV in the past, but recent extreme weather on our doorsteps shows that global warming is having an impact on all of us.

"We're committed to doing everything we can to create a cleaner, greener borough and a better world for our children and future generations.

"If we all take small steps like reducing our waste and recycling correctly, we can make a big difference.

"Our Green Garden Waste service gives residents a convenient way to get rid of their waste while doing their bit for the planet."

Residents can sign up for the service by visiting lbbd.gov.uk/greengardenwaste. And anyone who would like support signing up online can visit their nearest library or Community Hub for help.