Food waste caddies being sent out to 60,000 homes

2 hours ago

Richard PriceWest Midlands

News image — Food waste must be collected weekly by councils as part of new rules set by central government

BBC Food waste in an open bin, including bread, courgette slices and salad leaves. There is a wooden floor and the food is contained within a bag inside the bin. — Food waste must be collected weekly by councils as part of new rules set by central government

Residents in parts of Staffordshire are set to receive new food waste caddies as part of a government bid to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

About 60,000 properties across Stafford borough will start to get the new containers from this week, ahead of a new food waste collection service which begins on 13 April.

Residents will receive two new caddies for their leftover food: a seven-litre kitchen caddy and a 23-litre kerbside caddy.

They will also be given a roll of liners and detailed instructions about how the new service will work. The items will arrive at households during the next three to four weeks.

The kerbside caddies will then be collected alongside green, blue and brown bins and there will be no additional charge for the new equipment or the service.

Food waste that is collected would go to an anaerobic digestion plant, Stafford Borough Council said, where it would be converted into energy and material for use in agriculture.

Ian Fordham, council cabinet member for environment, said upcoming government rules required all local authorities to provide a separate food collection.

Many councils, however, will miss the original deadline for introducing the scheme.

"The new service has been funded by central government and will be run alongside our residents' usual recycling and waste collection days," Fordham said.

Things that can go in the new caddies include fruit and vegetables - including peelings – as well as fish, meat and bones plus tea bags, coffee grounds, eggs and dairy products.

The council said the caddies should not be used for liquids, oils or fats, garden waste or food packaging.

Food waste made up about a third of household rubbish which was currently incinerated, the authority said.

Overall, about 45% of what Stafford borough households throw out is recycled.

Collections in other county areas

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council said a similar system was "coming soon" for its collections.
A caddy delivery schedule will also be "published soon" for Lichfield and Tamworth residents under their shared waste service.
Cannock Chase District Council said it would be rolling out a new weekly food waste collection service in line with government requirements from April.
Meanwhile, South Staffordshire Council said it would introduce the service later this year.
East Staffordshire Borough Council is due to introduce its food waste collections on a weekly basis from 30 March.
And none of these changes will affect residents in Newcastle-under-Lyme who have been putting out caddies for their food waste for a number of years already.