Food waste collection trial to be piloted
Published Wednesday, 09 March 2011
A pilot project to encourage everyone to recycle food waste is set to get underway.
Next month sees the start of an eight-week trial period where homes in the Hamilton and Cambuslang area will receive a free kitchen container (a caddy) and a supply of biodegradable liners to collect food waste which will be treated rather than disposed of as landfill.
Once the caddy liner is full, or the householder no longer wants the contents of the liner in their kitchen, the liner should be tied and placed directly into the general domestic waste bin which will continue to be collected as normal.
The types of domestic waste that can be collected include:
- Fruit and vegetables both raw and cooked
- Fruit and vegetable peelings
- Tea bags and ground coffee
- Meat and fish both raw and cooked
- Solid dairy products e.g. butter, cheese
- Bread, cakes and pastries
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Leftovers and plate scrapings
The project is being carried out to meet the Scottish Government's recycling and composting targets which requires councils to recycle and compost 50% of waste by 31 March 2013, 60% by 31 March 2020 and 70% by 31 March 2025.
In South Lanarkshire during 2009/10 it recycled and composted 76,222 tonnes, equal to 40.1% of its waste which sees the council well on the way to meeting these statutory targets.
Other waste management services that have already been put in place by the council include various kerbside recycling schemes, civic amenity and recycling sites. And it already segregates and recycles all materials proposed to be banned from landfill with the exception of food waste.
Before the trial period gets underway in April, information on the scheme will be distributed as well as the kitchen caddies and liners to provide full instructions and answers to frequently asked questions.
The areas where the pilot will take place in Hamilton are Eddlewood, Silvertonhill, Torhead and Quarter with Drumsagard in the Cambuslang area also selected to help with the project.
The initial stage of the pilot will determine whether the collection method and containers used are efficient, good value for money and provide feedback on the tonnage of food waste being collected. Feedback will also be taken from residents at then end of the eight-week trial with the results used to help the council develop the programme for the future.
