Following on from a complaint to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) by Green Party member Rob White Reading Council has been forced to alter the wording of future advertisements about its ‘geen bin‘ garden waste service, as previous ads have been labelled misleading by the authority.

The complaint was about councils advertising that gave the impression that by using the ‘green bin‘ you would be providing the raw materials for compost which would then be sold and kept away from landfill. Phrases like ‘Garden waste - things like weeds, grass cuttings, and prunings from your garden is material that can be composted rather than taking up space in landfill‘ were used by the council. When in fact garden waste from the the ‘green bin‘ is being used as a mulch on top of the old landfill site.

After some investigation, the ASA agrees that the Green Party have made a valid point and asked the council to change the wording of future ads so as not to give a misleading impression. If the council fail to comply with the ASA‘s request they have been threatened with a formal investigation.

Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Reading East Rob White said:

"I am not against the green waste collection being used to mulch the landfill site as this needs to be done. What I am against is the misleading way the council has been promoting its ‘green bin‘ service, making it seem greener than it actually is."

"I‘m glad that the ASA is in agreement with me and has given the council a warning over this matter."

"In future I would like to see a ‘greener‘ green waste collection service for those residents of Reading who are unable to compost their waste at home. One that takes kitchen waste as well as garden waste and turns these useful resources into compost to be used locally. If done well we could even capture the gases generated during the composting process and use them as a source of renewable energy."

ENDS

Notes for the Editor

1. For more information please contact Rob White on 07985 923938 or 0118 950 4062.
2. The ASA ruling can be found on their website (www.asa.org.uk) as an informally resolved Adjudication.