Residents in Heysham are doing their bit towards tackling climate change by taking part in a food waste recycling trial.
UK households currently throw away around 7.2 million tonnes of food every year. As part of the government’s strategy to tackle climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, it is anticipated that it won’t be too long before councils are being asked to provide a weekly food waste collection service.
To help prepare for potential changes, Lancaster City Council is working in partnership with Lancashire County Council, the waste management authority, to trial a weekly food collection service within a designated area of the district.
The aim of the trial which started this week is to test the impact of additional food waste collections on the council’s current waste and recycling services and for the county council to test its sorting and composting process.
The original trial which was scheduled to start in March last year was put on hold as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
More than 1000 households in the Windermere Park/Saxon Heights, Tomlinson Road and Bradford Grove area of Heysham have received a kitchen caddy, a kerbside caddy, supply of compostable bin liners and step by step instructions to help residents play an effective part in the trial.
All food waste can be recycled, including leftovers, peelings, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, pasta, bread, cakes, meat, fish and bones and tea and coffee grounds.
Those taking part in the trial have been asked to put their caddies out on their normal collection day (every Monday) alongside their other bins and boxes.
Councillor David Brookes, Cabinet member for waste and recycling, said: “By weight, food makes up almost a quarter of an average household's grey bin, so finding a better way of dealing with it can make a big difference.
“Composting food waste will substantially reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions compared to sending it to landfill, where it breaks down without oxygen and releases methane - a greenhouse gas that has a much stronger effect on global heating than carbon dioxide.
“Carrying out this trial will put us in a good position if, as expected, weekly food waste collection becomes the required national standard in the next few years. It is also a step in the right direction as part of the council's efforts to tackle the climate emergency."
Food waste recycling in the district was halted in 2016 by Lancashie County Council when changes in the way such waste was composted took place.
Lancaster youth charity launches 10 Challenges campaign
£30k campaign launched for new Lancaster community farm
Carnforth chiropodist honours her late husband with clinic fundraiser
Lancaster City Council agrees 2.99 per cent rise in Council tax share
Lancashire Police’s share of Council tax to rise by 5.4 per cent
Guys Thatched Hamlet closes suddenly after 46 years
Teenager spared jail for causing death of newborn child in Morecambe
Morecambe Town Council agrees budget and 2.46 per cent rise in Council tax share
Builders of new Lancaster housing development offer £2k cash pot to community groups
Lancaster centre welcomes mayor for opening of new community kitchen
Lancaster shop to close as high street gaming chain faces administration
Jim Bentley returns for second spell as Morecambe FC manager
Ashvir Singh Johal’s reign as Morecambe manager comes to an end
Lancaster writer's ghost story of Morecambe to be voiced by acting legend on Radio 4
Change of name announced for popular Morecambe bar
Opening announced for new Morecambe bistro inside former post office
Health watchdog report shows improvements to services at Royal Lancaster Infirmary
LISTEN: How Leo's Gym is making a difference in memory of young Morecambe boxer
LISTEN: Lancaster set to celebrate Chinese New Year
Lancaster’s Vue Cinema under new ownership
