The council has said its collection vehicles have been freed up by running its “2xRecycling Pilot”, which sees residual waste collected fortnightly and cans, glass, paper, textiles and plastic bottles collected weekly for recycling.
”Where we have some vehicles which are no longer collecting rubbish every week lets us use the vehicles on other weeks to collect different materials. “
– Cllr Ray Truman, Newport CC
As a result, the spare vehicles can now be used towards a new pilot food and cardboard collection service.
The trial “FAB” service will see about 8,000 homes using compostable white starch bags for food and board – including cooked and raw meat. Half of the homes on the 2xRecycling Pilot will take part in the FAB scheme.
Bags
Each week residents will use one of the starch bags, which have been designed to minimise smells and mess, placing them in their orange bins along with green garden waste. Residents will also be given the option of buying subsidised kitchen caddies from supplier Straight.
Cllr Ray Truman, Newport's cabinet member for community safety and sustainable development said: “Running schemes like the 2xRecycling Pilot, where we have some vehicles which are no longer collecting rubbish every week, lets us use the vehicles on other weeks to collect different materials. The orange bins are ideal for holding the cardboard, garden and food waste so we can compost it instead of burying it with other rubbish.”
Cllr Truman said the council was sure the scheme would be popular with residents once they get into the routine of using the starch bags. “If it's successful for the 8,000 residents after 8 months we’re hoping to extend it,” he added.
Wormtech
Once collected, the material will go to the Wormtech composting facility in Monmouthshire. Newport council has an arrangement with Monmouthshire council and Wormtech to transport food, cardboard and garden waste to the in-vessel composting facility in Caerwent, about 15 minutes' drive from the city.
The new food and cardboard service has been born out of a survey in which residents on the 2xRecycling Pilot said cardboard and kitchen waste now formed the largest proportion of their waste after recyclables were taken out.
| Related links: |
The 2xRecycling Pilot itself has been extended until September 2005, when the council is to take a decision on its future, although it is likely that any expansion will have to wait until the next financial year. The council has said the FAB scheme will be evaluated in March 2006.
Over 74,000 tonnes of waste is collected and disposed of each each by the city council and partners including community group Newport Wastesavers. Newport has a recycling rate of 19.63% in 2003/04, putting it among the top five councils in Wales.
Subscribe for free