Food waste recycling on the menu in Torridge

PEOPLE across Torridge will soon be able to recycle their food waste as the district council rolls out its new collection service. Throughout October and November, residents on green bin routes will be issued with a five-litre kitchen caddy and a roll of

PEOPLE across Torridge will soon be able to recycle their food waste as the district council rolls out its new collection service.

Throughout October and November, residents on green bin routes will be issued with a

five-litre kitchen caddy and a roll of 10 cornstarch bags to line it, reducing the potential for odours.

Meat, including chicken bones, fish, cooked food waste, vegetable peelings, salad, fruit, tea, tea bags, coffee grounds and filters, egg shells, stale bread and crusts can all be placed in the kitchen caddie and green bin, which will be collected once a fortnight all year round.

But residents are asked to wait until they receive their kitchen caddy before starting to recycle their food waste.

Lead Member for Recycling Adam Symons, said: "Roughly a third of our rubbish is food waste. If you chuck it in the rubbish bin, it will be taken to landfill where it rots and gives off methane, which is a major greenhouse gas. Now that we have access to a local composting plant we are able to recycle that food waste instead. Using new in-vessel composting technology, we can now take it all and turn it into sterile and usable compost. A big bonus is that by putting your food waste in your green wheelie bin you will get less smelly black bags and they won't attract animals which often rip the bags open."

Torridge is holding a series of roadshows throughout the district as the food caddies are delivered to local households.

For more information contact Torridge's Recycling Team on (01237) 428734.