Food waste collections for an extra 100,000 homes

An additional 100,000 households will have food waste collected when a new service begins.

Residents of Poole and Bournemouth in Dorset who do not yet receive kerb-side collections will see them introduced from April.

The roll-out will mean all households in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council area will be able to recycle their food waste.

The council said the change will remove confusion and "make recycling part of everyday life" for people in the area.

The majority of people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole already receive food waste collections.

A new service will cover about 70,000 remaining properties in Poole and 30,000 in Bournemouth.

The service will start from 6 April, with food waste collected every week on the same day as general rubbish.

Over the next few months, internal caddies and external food waste bins, along with instructions, will be delivered to each home ahead of the first scheduled collections.

The update comes as part of the government reforms to recycling.

Councillor Andy Hadley, cabinet member for sustainability and environment at BCP Council, said: "Our aim is to help everyone to recycle more. Every effort you make, big or small, makes a difference.

"Around 30% of our household rubbish bin contents are food waste and separating this out cuts down on the amount of waste that ends up in landfill or other disposal sites - reducing greenhouse gas emissions which have a harmful impact on the environment.

"Every bit of food waste recycled helps cut council spending, meaning more money can go towards services that benefit everyone in the community."

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