35% of black bin waste is food

MORE than 35 per cent of waste placed in Warrington’s black bins is food waste.
As a result, Town Hall chiefs want to explore the possibility to collecting food waste along with green waste for recycling, to produce a high quality compost.
But this can be more expensive than treating green waste alone and officers want to find out if it is affordable.
Fourteen firms were invited to submit tenders both for treating green waste alone or mixed green waste and food waste. Five eventually put in bids for the work – and members of the council’s executive board will be recommended to accept one for a period of one year from next month.
Cllr David Keane, executive member for environment and public protection, in a report to the board, said the kerbside green bin recycling services has proved tremendously popular since it was introduced in 2006-7. It has contributed to a rise in the borough’s recycling rate which stood at more than 43 per cent last year.
But more and more councils were now providing options for residents to recycle food waste as part of organic waste and officers want to test the market to see if this option is affordable.
Cllr Keane said: “Treating mixed food waste with green waste can be more expensive than treating green waste along.
“This is due to the fact that food waste has to be treated in sealed vessels at temperature to meet legislation that was created following the last outbreak of ‘Foot and Mouth.'”
Current budget for the service is £304,000 a year – with green waste being shredded and converted to compost in the open air at a site at Kenyon, Culcheth.