East Ayrshire residents' final free brown bin uplift will take place throughout this month.
The highly controversial new garden waste tax means that locals have to fork out £30 for their brown bins to be emptied.
Despite almost 6,000 residents signing a petition to scrap the fee, the local authority has forged ahead with plans.
East Ayrshire Council did climb down on a few of the finer details of the tax but confirmed that it would still go ahead.
East Ayrshire Council's Labour's group leader called the scheme "unwanted, unjustified and ill thought out.”
Waste chiefs have tried to sweeten the blow to dedicated gardeners by offering them the chance to apply for a free composter instead of splurging on the permit.
Those that pay for a permit will get four-weekly collections between March and December.
Permits are now being issued and residents are being instructed to attach them to their bin.
Residents can also request that the council remove their bin if they no longer want it.
Residents can enter their postcode here to find out when their final free uplift will be.
A council statement issued last month reads: "As part of the transition into the new arrangements, the council will empty ALL brown bins for free on the first date they are due on the 2021 waste collection calendar.
"A permit is NOT required for this collection. To view the calendar, visit https://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/Housing/RubbishAndRecycling/Collection-days/ViewYourRecyclingCalendar.aspx
"This will allow bins that contain garden waste from the winter period to be emptied. From the second cycle onwards, only brown bins with a permit will be collected.
"Permit holders will still receive the full ten uplifts of their garden waste bin and an extra collection will now take place in early 2022 to offset the first free collection in 2021.
"If anyone decides after free collection date that they no longer wish to keep their brown bin, they can fill out an online form at www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/gardenwastepermit and the council will remove the bin for them."
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