The first weekly food waste collections in Stafford Borough got underway today (Monday 13 April) as part of a government-funded initiative.

The national move is aimed at increasing the amount of food households across the country currently recycle – with the new food waste collection service starting this week.

Around 60,000 properties across Stafford have received two new containers for their leftover food for the new service. A small internal seven-litre kitchen caddy, a larger 23-litre external kerbside caddy, and a roll of liners have been delivered to households along with detailed instructions of how the new service will work.

The kerbside caddy will be collected alongside the green, blue and brown bins – and there is no additional charge to borough residents for the new equipment or the service.

Among the items that can go in the new caddies are:

• Fruit and vegetables - including peelings.
• Fish, meat and bones.
• Tea bags and coffee grounds.
• Eggs and dairy products.

The caddies cannot be used for liquids, oils or fats, garden waste or food packaging.

The food waste will go to an ‘anaerobic digestion’ plant to be converted into energy and the digestate produced used in agriculture to improve soil.

Cabinet Member for Environment at Stafford Borough council, Ian Fordham, said: “The Government requires all councils to provide this separate food collection in what is a major change to our waste and recycling service.

“The new service has been funded by central Government and will be run alongside our residents’ usual recycling and waste collection days.”

Food waste makes up around a third of household rubbish which is currently incinerated.

See more information on the new service at www.staffordbc.gov.uk/food-waste

Press Release No 6283