The Department for environment, food & rural affairs (Defra) funding has said the funding will cover new food waste containers for homes and specialist collection vehicles, targeted at local authorities that have yet to fully put food waste service in place.
Over 10 million tonnes of food is wasted every year in the UK, with much sent to landfill. Defra said that separate collections of food waste from every household will “prevent contamination of other waste which could be usefully recycled”, as well as ensuring that food waste can be sent to anaerobic digestion facilities, rather than to landfill.
Defra said that directing food waste to these plants will generate more sustainable energy to power homes and businesses and cut down the more than “18 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions” associated with this waste.
Recycling minister Robbie Moore said: “Weekly food waste collections are a central plank in delivering a simpler, easier recycling system for all. It will help to stop food waste heading to landfill and support our goals of tackling both waste and climate change. We’re backing councils with new funding to ensure the nation can benefit and recycle more.”
‘Important boost’
Claire Shrewsbury, director of insights and innovations, WRAP, said: “Weekly food waste collections will give recycling in England an important boost and help reduce the impact of food waste on climate change.
“Our research shows that when food waste collections are introduced, and people see how much food goes to waste in their home, they want to do something about it. And with food waste costing a household of four around £1,000 a year, weekly collections will not only help prevent food waste in the first place but utilise the food waste collected to generate green energy and compost.”
The funding is part of the government’s Simpler Recycling plans. A central pillar of these reforms will see weekly collections of food waste rolled out for most households across England by 2026.
Defra developed the funding formula for local authorities in collaboration with WRAP, also “engaging closely” with local authority organisations.
Defra said that the financial model which underpins the formula accounts for a number of variables including “rurality, levels of deprivation, number of kerbside and flatted properties, configuration of flatted properties, food waste yields, vehicle and container unit costs, and average collection round sizes”.
The model is also said to take into account the extent of existing food waste collection in each local authority.
To find out more about changes in the sector, visit the National Letsrecycle.com Conference on 6 March at QEII Centre in London. To book tickets to attend or for more information please click here.
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