GARDEN waste weighing more than the equivalent of two blue whales has been collected from homes in the first five months of a trial scheme.

Tendring Council launched its green waste collections in Clacton in May.

Households pay £50 a year to join the scheme.

It was later expanded across the district and 2,000 homes have signed up for the fortnightly wheeled bin collections.

So far more than 250 tonnes of garden waste has been taken to Essex County Council’s composting facility – more than the weight of two adult blue whales, the world’s largest animal.