Shropshire residents can now support tree planting efforts by opting to receive their council tax bills electronically, the local council has said.

Shropshire Council is promising to extend its Community Tree Scheme to plant at least one additional tree for every household that opts out of council tax paper billing and switches to council tax e-billing.

At the moment, 22% of Shropshire homes receive an e-bill for their council tax. Receiving bills electronically reduces the financial and environmental impacts of producing and sending paper bills.

‘There are lots of advantages of switching to ebilling, and as an extra incentive we’re promising an extra tree planted for every household that opts out of council tax paper billing and switches to ebilling,’ said Gwilym Butler, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for finance and resources.

‘Reducing the paper, printing and delivery process involved in producing paper bills also benefits the environment and supports our work to tackle climate change, helping Shropshire Council achieve its target to become carbon neutral by 2030.’

Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for climate change, natural assets and the green economy, added: ‘Clearly the more people that sign up for ebilling, the more trees that will be planted; and that will have the additional benefit of supporting natural flood management and improving air quality countywide.

‘As native species will be planted, we’ll also be protecting natural habitats and the wealth of biodiversity they contain.’