GARDEN waste previously collected by Scottish Borders Council and removed by contractors to be composted is now being dumped in the massive landfill site at Easter Langlee.

And, as a result, the cash-strapped local authority is expecting to pay at least another £70,000 this year in Landfill Tax while falling further behind Scottish Government recycling targets.

But the council has denied a claim that the tonnage of general waste has increased by as much as 25 per cent since it abandoned the green bin collections for 38,000 households at the end of March. It says the increase in tonnage going to landfill is up six per cent as a result of people putting garden rubbish in their general waste bins.

And it stresses that extra landfill tax payments – currently levied on the council by HMRC at £80 a tonne - were anticipated and included in its financial projections when councillors approved the controversial decision at the end of last year.

Former Hawick councillor Andrew Farquhar said he had “reliable information” that, since the garden collections were withdrawn, council vehicles which previously uplifted 7.5 tonnes of general waste on a single black bin run were now regularly collecting 10 tonnes.

Mr Fraquhar told us: “That represents a 25 per cent increase in tonnage which would equate to the council paying an extra £180,000 a year in Landfill Tax.” And he claimed some irresponsible householders were already “foolishly” concealing garden waste in the blue re-cycling bins and that this was adding to council costs.

“We already know that the new regime will cut SBC’s recycling performance by over 5 per cent, making a mockery of efforts by governments and other organisations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” he added.

But Mr Farquhar’s interpretation was rejected by SBC, a spokesperson telling the Peeblesshire News: “We are monitoring the situation, but our recycling contractor audits to date have not shown that garden waste is being put in blue bins. Yes, garden waste is being deposited with general waste and, based on data for the first two months, there has been an increase of six per cent in general waste collected at the kerbside.

“We are encouraging people not to do so by taking advantage of our free home compost bin offer or by using private garden waste collection services.

“We are reminding the public that garden waste can also be taken to the region’s six recycling centres and to Eshiels [Peebles] and at Easter Langlee which are undergoing improvements to benefit users.

“The increase in tonnage of general waste is within our anticipated additional tonnage to landfill and has been accounted for in the projected cost savings [of £450,000].

The Border Telegraph understands that the council has been aware of garden waste being fly-tipped in the region since the collections stopped and that it currently anticipates an extra Landfill Tax bill this year of around £70,000.

Members of the public using private collection services are advised to ensure that they are registered with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Councillor Gavin Logan, who opposed axing green bin collections, told us: “Any increase in general waste collection must be a real concern as it blows a hole in the council’s green waste strategy and could prove expensive for the council.”