Brentwood Borough Council is working in partnership Essex County Council to increase food recycling rates.
Later this month (October), 130,000 households in Essex will receive a free roll of caddy liners and an information leaflet about food recycling. This is part of an intervention to help people in Brentwood, Castle Point and Colchester to increase their food recycling rates.
Food waste makes up around one quarter of general rubbish collected in Essex. This food is sent to landfill where it rots. Landfill is the least sustainable and most expensive waste management option. For this reason, the council are keen to increase the use of food waste collection services among Essex residents.
Last year, Essex County Council rolled out a similar intervention to increase the amount of food waste recycled in nine areas. The project achieved great results within the first three months after the intervention. The areas saw an average increase of 21% of food recycled compared to the previous year.
Councillor Barry Aspinell, Chair of the Clean and Green Committee at Brentwood Borough Council said: “As a council which has declared a Climate Emergency, we are happy to support Essex County Council in this initiative to help our residents recycle more of their food waste and reduce rubbish sent to landfill.
“This is much more than just cutting the cost of landfill – it is about protecting our environment. To know that six recycled teabags can generate enough energy to boil a kettle shows the importance of using your food caddy.”
This is a tried and tested method that has already been rolled out in the following areas with wheeled bins in Essex. These areas are:
- Basildon
- Braintree
- Colchester
- Epping Forest
- Harlow
- Maldon
- Rochford
- Tendring
- Uttlesford
Find out more about how to recycle your food waste.