Lockdown prompted Saskia Donnelly to become the 10,000th customer to subscribe to our garden waste collection service.
Saskia, who lives in Morden, said: “We knew that managing our garden waste might get a bit tricky during lockdown, so we signed up to the service. I was really impressed with the quick delivery of my garden waste bin, and I am very happy with the waste and recycling services in my area.”
To celebrate her becoming the 10,000th subscriber Saskia won a free annual subscription for the fortnightly collections of garden waste, including grass cuttings, weeds, hedge trimmings and leaves, which are made into soil improver.
Saskia said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have won a free years’ garden waste subscription – it was such wonderful news.
“Lockdown has been a perfect time to get green fingers as we’ve had more time to spend in the garden. We’ve recently planted some lavender, which has attracted so much more wildlife – it’s made a real difference.”
Saskia Donnelly with her son, Luke
The keen gardener and her eight-year-old son, Luke, have also been busy planting seeds and they hope to have a crop of courgettes, aubergines, herbs and tomatoes this summer.
Merton Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Health and the Environment, Councillor Tobin Byers, said: “I’d like to welcome our 10,000th customer to the garden waste collection service and I hope Saskia and her family are able to harvest a bumper crop of vegetables and flowers this year.
“Merton is one of the capital’s greenest boroughs and residents are spending a lot of time in their gardens during lockdown, so our garden waste service has become even more important.
“I would like to thank our customers who have been helping our hard working collection crews to maintain a good service during lockdown by minimising their waste and only putting their bin out for collection when it is full.”
An annual subscription to the fortnightly garden waste collection service costs £77.50 – that is only £2.98 per collection. For more information and to sign up, visit: www.merton.gov.uk/gardenwaste