Mid Sussex District Council has given the go-ahead for a trial of household food waste collections.
9, a:1:{i:0;s:8:”defaults”;}, Mid Sussex District Council has given the go-ahead for a trial of household food waste collections., Mid Sussex District Council has given the go-ahead for a trial of household food waste collections, reports Mid Sussex Times. Around 3,000 households in their areas are taking part in the pilot and will receive a separate bin for food waste, to be collected weekly.
However, the council will also reduce general waste collections for the participating households from fortnightly to once every three weeks. The blue topped recycling bins, and the paid-for green waste bins will continue to be collected every two weeks.
The pilot is due to start in April and would be the first in West Sussex to trial separate food waste collections. If successful they would be rolled out to the rest of the district. The trial is being run in partnership with West Sussex County Council.
Council cabinet members approved the project on 10 February.
The pilot scheme is called the ‘1-2-3+’ system, which is broken down as:
1 – Weekly food waste collections (and opt-in weekly absorbent hygiene product collections e.g. nappies and incontinence waste)
2 – Fortnightly (commingled) dry recycling collections
3 – Three-weekly residual waste collections
4 – Fortnightly opt-in subscription garden waste service.
Surveys on waste collection in Mid Sussex revealed that food waste is the largest element in general household waste, contributing over 41 per cent in the total weight.
John Belsey, the cabinet member for environment and service delivery, said: “From the feedback we have received this is a great opportunity for us as a council on a cost-neutral basis to trial something which will be very good for our recycling and West Sussex.”
With food waste collected separately, it is then taken to an anaerobic digestion plant, which will covert the waste into gas for bioenergy and remaining material will become soil fertiliser. With weekly food waste and absorbent hygiene product collections, general rubbish bins will be much less full.
Cllr Belsey expects that the government will soon be introducing separate food waste collections anyway and that residents will be welcoming of the trial, giving them the opportunity to increase recycling and help the environment.
Jonathan Ash-Edwards, leader of the district council, said: “I hope it will be a success and we are hoping to be able to roll it out if the pilot is successful.”
Officers explained since this was a trial more personalised support would be available to households to help them reduce the amount they are throwing away into their black bin.
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