Is your mum a keen gardener? Are you trying to think what to get her for Mother’s Day on 19 March?

If you’re looking a Mother’s Day gift that mum can really use, why not buy a garden waste gift subscription?

Not only is this a useful, practical gift, even better, it’s a present that lasts almost all year round so it’s the gift that keeps on giving!

Steve Darling, Leader of Torbay Council said: “Thousands of people in Torbay have already signed up for garden waste collections and 97% of subscribers who responded in a recent survey gave the service either 4 or 5 stars.

“As we get closer to Spring many of us will enjoy getting out in the garden once again. So this Mother’s Day why not buy mum a gift that she can really use, and subscribe to a garden waste gift subscription for her? Even better, unlike a bunch of flowers or a box of chocolates, a garden waste subscription will last most of the year!”

Councillor Mike Morey, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Environment and Culture for Torbay Council said: “As well as being a great gift for your mum, a garden waste subscription is the ideal gift for someone who wants to help the environment – here at Torbay Council we’re committed to doing all we can to improve recycling and reduce our carbon footprint – and the more people that sign up for garden waste the better. All the garden waste collected is turned into compost and used at a local farm so by signing up you are doing your bit for the planet!”

Since the service was launched in October 2022, 4,600 people have subscribed and more than 350 tonnes of garden waste has been collected and converted to compost at a local farm.

Garden waste subscriptions are £50 per subscription and you get a 240L size brown bin and 12 months of collections for each subscription (with each household being entitled to sign up for up to three subscriptions or three brown bins).

The following items can be put in brown bins:

• Grass cuttings
• Flowers
• Small branches up to 10cm thick
• Loose leaves
• Shrub trimmings
• Hedge trimmings

Gift subscriptions

If you want to buy a garden waste subscription as a gift please email recycling@swisco.co.uk  

Subscribing for garden waste collections yourself

If you are buying it for yourself, please visit our garden waste webpages. 

If you have further questions

Alternatively if you wish to discuss further or find out more you can call 01803 701310.