Food waste collections considered in Liverpool

The move follows the introduction of the government’s Environment Bill on 30 January (see letsrecycle.com story), which “stipulates a consistent set of materials that must be collected from all households and businesses, including food waste”. Subject to consultation, mandatory food waste collections are set to be rolled out by 2023.

A report prepared for the meeting by the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (MWDA) reads: “Members will recall that at the authority meeting on 18 October 2019, a motion was proposed and approved that requested a report be brought back to the authority setting out options for the early delivery of food waste collections across the city region.

“The motion asked the chief executive to work with the senior officers working group of Liverpool city region’s waste collection authorities to identify the options that are available for the delivery of a food waste collection service and to approach Defra over access to funding for any early adoption of a collection pilot.”

The overall cost of introducing the service has been estimated at £10,767,000. The project would require both revenue and capital funding, and the Authority said it hopes to introduce a pilot soon.

There are 617,000 households in Liverpool that would require a weekly food waste collection service.

Vehicles

The report suggests the most appropriate vehicle to be used to collect the food waste would be a specialised 7.5 tonne plastic bodied vehicle with a 2.75 tonne payload.

It is estimated the collection would require 41 rounds, with each daily round passing 3,100 properties.

The cost of the fleet – based on traditional diesel vehicles – is estimated at £2,916,000.

The senior officers working group (SOWG) of Liverpool city region’s waste collection authorities suggested a fleet of vehicles that used diesel as a fuel would not be suitable.

Therefore, though it may prove more costly, options to procure alternatively fuelled vehicles are to be explored.

Caddies

Each household would be provided with an internal kitchen caddy with a capacity of five to seven litres. Caddy liners would also be provided.

The caddies are expected to cost the council £888,000 and the liners £821,000.

An external food bin with a 23 to 25 litre capacity would be provided to allow households to present their food waste at the kerbside each week.

These bins are expected to cost £1,958,000.

Different systems for weekly kerbside collections will be developed for the region’s 73,000 non-standard properties, and this may include a 120-litre communal bin, or even something larger.