HOMEOWNERS are being urged to dispose of garden waste properly to help protect the environment.

Wirral Council collects more than 12,000 tonnes of garden waste every year from brown bins.

To dispose of garden waste residents can take it to a local recycling centre, compost it at home or sign up for garden waste collections from the council.

But some households who don't subscribe to the brown bin are wrongly disposing the garden waste in green bins which will then be incinerated with other general waste.

The council is now urging households to either sign up for the garden waste subscription or compost the waste at home.

Cabinet member for environment and climate change Cllr Liz Grey told the Globe: "We all have a role to play in the fight against climate change and we must dispose of our waste properly.

"Garden waste is compostable waste and should not be disposed of in green general waste bins.

"Whether you sign up for garden waste collections, take it to the tip or compost it yourself at home, you are all doing your bit to help protect the environment we all rely on."

The annual garden waste subscription is £43 for a fortnightly brown bin collection of grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, leaves, weeds and flowers, once paid, the collections run until 31 May 2020, with a break over Christmas and New Year.

If you are unable to get online and need assistance to subscribe consider asking a friend or a relative to subscribe on your behalf or you can visit your local One Stop Shop and pay using your Credit/Debit card.

For more information about disposing of garden waste, visit

https://www.wirral.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling/brown-garden-waste-bin