The council will introduce its food waste collection early next month (October 4) and plans to collect food waste weekly. Kitchen caddies, a start-up supply of compostable liners, and larger, lockable, food waste bins have been provided to its residents to enable them to store the material outside.
The contract award is the next milestone in increasing recycling capacity through Bath and North East Somerset Council’s efforts to get food waste recycling up-and-running
Cllr Charles Gerrish, cabinet member for service delivery, Bath and North East Somerset council
Once collected, the food waste will be transported to New Earth Solutions’ Sharpness in-vessel composting facility in Gloucestershire, which the company purchased in February last year (see letsrecycle.com story). The food waste will be mixed with green waste at the facility and used to make compost for New Earth’s existing agricultural customers.
New Earth managing director, Chris Cox, said: “New Earth is pleased to be working with Bath and North East Somerset Council on this project. Our proven ability to provide local authorities with recycling services and recover value from household food waste further supports local authorities in reducing the quantities of waste sent to landfill.”
Recycling rates
The council is introducing the food waste collection in order to increase its recycling rates and reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill each year.
The council explained on its website: “We want less food going into black sacks and more into food waste containers to increase recycling rates. If we don’t decrease the amount of food going to landfill it will result in the need for either higher increases in Council Tax or cuts in other services because we will be paying higher charges.”
Councillor Charles Gerrish, cabinet member for service delivery, commented: “The contract award is the next milestone in increasing recycling capacity through Bath and North East Somerset Council’s efforts to get food waste recycling up-and-running. The method used to treat the food waste is environmentally-friendly and turning it into compost will be popular with residents.”
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Bath and North East Somerset already has a green waste collection service, which it charges residents for and also collects other recyclables including, paper, plastics, drinks cans and WEEE.
Since purchasing the Sharpness site last year New Earth has won other contracts in the surrounding south west area. Last month Cardiff council awarded the company a contract to process 25,000 tonnes-a-year of commingled food and green waste from the city (see letsrecycle.com story).
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