IN a bid to rejuvenate its green waste collection service Test Valley Borough Council is asking householders to make changes to what they put into their brown lidded 'compostables' bins.

The changes are needed to enable the collection service to stop the current practice of sending all green waste to landfill sites, which has been made necessary in the wake of the foot and mouth outbreak.

"Notification of these changes is being included on a bin hanger that will be distributed on refuse collection days starting this week," said a council spokesman.

"Residents are urged to read the bin hanger. With effect from 18 November, Test Valley's kerbside collections of green waste will no longer be accepted if they contain any kitchen scraps, including tea bags and coffee grounds, egg shells and dairy products, fruit and vegetable cores and peelings, meat or fish or cooked foods.

"While they are not acceptable for commercial composting, they are perfectly safe in home composters."

An alternative to the kerbside collection of green waste is to compost both the garden and kitchen wastes at home.

This will produce an excellent, free soil improver and reduce the amounts of green waste for collection, says Test Valley.

The bin hanger includes a special offer on home compost bins.