700 tonnes of food waste collected in Lincolnshire in three weeks
New food waste collections are going wheelie well
New food waste caddies have been hailed a success by officials, with nearly 700 tonnes collected in the first three weeks.
The new collections began in Lincoln, West Lindsey, North Kesteven and South Kesteven in the last few weeks, with the rest of Lincolnshire due to follow in the autumn.
Council officers in charge of waste say that people are warming to the concept, with up to two-thirds of those eligible already using them.
The collected waste will be turned into energy through a biodigester rather than sent to landfill.
Councillor Danny Brookes, the chair of the Lincolnshire Waste Forum, said that the roll-out was going well.
“There have been a few teething problems but we are working through them, and we’re seeing that people want to recycle and help the planet,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
“If you’re using your food waste for composting or feeding it to the dogs, that’s fair enough – but if it would just go in your general bin, you may as well use the caddy.”
Figures shared at a meeting of the Waste Forum on Thursday (April 22) said participation varied from 45 per cent to 65 per cent across the areas – a number which is expected to rise.
Around 190 tonnes were collected in each of the roll-out’s first two weeks, with that number rising to 310 tonnes in the third week when South Kesteven began.
Boston, South Holland and East Lindsey are on track to begin the collections later this year, with the date still to be confirmed.
Each home should now have both an indoor caddy and an outdoor one, which can be left at the kerb on bin collection days.
Food used to make up a quarter of all waste thrown away in Lincolnshire, but can be turned into renewable energy and nutrient-rich fertiliser for farms instead.
Here’s a reminder of what you can put in them:
- All uneaten food and plate scrapings
- Meat and fish (either raw or cooked)
- Dairy products
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Bread, pastries, and cakes
- Raw/cooked fruit and vegetables, including peelings.