Giving food waste new life: New recycling service to be rolled out in South Staffordshire
Food waste from South Staffordshire will soon be turned into energy, fertilizer and compost when a new recycling service is introduced later this year.
Residents across the district will be able to recycle their food waste at home, with a new food waste collection service set to be rolled out this summer.
The initiative, being introduced in line with government legislation, will see all residents receive new food caddies this spring – with each household receiving one smaller, light grey caddy for use in the home, and a larger, brown, secure outside caddy for kerbside collection.
To keep the caddies clean and tidy, liners will be provided by South Staffordshire Council.
The service will be provided at no additional cost to residents, with the council receiving funding from the government to introduce the service.
Items which can be disposed of in the caddies include: leftover cooked and raw food; fish, meat and bones; fruit and vegetables; dairy; eggs and eggshells; tea and coffee grounds; bread and pastries; and food preparation waste.
The external caddies will be emptied weekly by bin crews at the kerbside on residents’ normal collection days.
Once the food waste is collected, it will be taken to a food waste recycling facility in Cannock, where it will undergo a process called ‘anaerobic digestion’, which turns the waste into methane gas. This gas can go into the gas grid or make electricity for the electricity grid via turbines. The process also creates a nutrient-rich material which is used as a fertilizer on local fields for growing more food.
The new food waste collection service will be provided to all residents of South Staffordshire in addition to their existing bin collection service.
Cabinet member for community services, Councillor Mike Davies, said: “This new initiative is an opportunity for our residents to recycle even more at home, helping the environment and reducing waste which would otherwise go into the grey bins.
“We will be encouraging residents to participate in this government-led initiative, which we will be running alongside all councils in England. Their participation will build on the district’s existing successes with recycling and help reduce food going to waste in our local communities.”
For more information, visit: Food Waste Collection Service | South Staffordshire District Council
