Waveney Council is to start charging households to collect their garden waste – just days after the county council said it was to reduce credits it pays for green waste collection.

And food waste will no longer be collected as part of the organic service – that will be restricted to garden waste.

Waveney has not said what charge it will levy to households but the Suffolk Waste Partnership has recommended authorities should charge between £35 and £50 a year for collecting garden waste.

Waveney cabinet member Stephen Ardley said: “We are taking this decision reluctantly, but also believe that this is the only way to resolve the issues we face in relation to green waste.

“The reduction in county council recycling payments, places us in an almost impossible position. The cost of the service could balloon to up to £1.68 million and, allied to a projected budget deficit for the council of £4.5m by 2016/17, we need to take difficult decisions to protect essential services.

“All the services we deliver cost money, however in much the same way that our communities pay separately for services such as car parking or leisure centres, we think it is appropriate that a service such as green waste collection, which is also discretionary and can be opted in or out of, should now be chargeable.”

Babergh and Mid Suffolk councils have always charged households for collecting green waste, but up to now all the other districts and boroughs in the county have not charged extra for the service.

Ipswich council has said it will not charge households for continuing the service, if necessary it will put up council tax by the 1% that is needed, but the other authorities are looking at whether to introduce charges.