 Thank you for recycling your food waste
According to WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), 70% of food waste in the UK comes from average households.
Recycling your food waste becomes all the more important in helping our environment.
During January to June 2022, more than 3,000 tonnes of food waste was collected in the borough and recycled to become fertilizers and electricity.
This is a significant achievement for all of us and we thank you for making this happen.
 What can go in your food caddy
Reducing food waste is good for the planet because it helps slow down global warming.
When we waste food, we also waste all the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. If food goes to the landfill and rots, it produces methane – a greenhouse gas which is even more potent than carbon dioxide.
If you have any of these left in your kitchen, please put them in your food caddy:
- All cooked and uncooked food
- Baked food (bread, cakes, pastries)
- Tea bags, loose tea leaves and coffee grounds
- Dairy products (cheese, eggs and eggshells, yoghurts)
- Vegetable peelings, banana skins, apple cores
- Pet food
- Out-of-date food
- Cooking oil in sealed bottles
What can't go in your food caddy
Some items can’t be put in your food caddy because they, if mixed with food waste, may prevent the loads of materials from being recycled:
- Cling film, wrapping and tin foil
- Pots, trays
- Garden waste
- Pet faeces
- Litter
Some common queries
Some food items are easily found in every kitchen, but you may be unsure of whether they can be recycled. For example:
- Chicken bones: Yes
- Rotten tomatoes: Yes
- Mouldy bread: Yes
- Mussel or clam shells: Yes
- Liquids (e.g. soup, milk): No thanks
 What happens to your food waste
Do you know your food waste can be turned into electricity?
Food waste collected from residents is transported to an Anaerobic Digestion facility in Oxfordshire. Anaerobic digestion is a natural process in which plant and animal materials are converted into useful products by micro-organisms in the absence of air.
Food waste is then put through a de-packaging system that removes all types of liners. The waste is later sent to an energy from waste facility where it is safely incinerated to create electricity.
The food waste is transferred to huge digestion tanks, in which it breaks down and creates methane over an 85-day period. The methane is captured and converted to electricity. The plant produces 2.4mw of electricity continually, which is enough to power 4,800 homes.
In addition, as food waste breaks down, it creates a nutritious liquid fertiliser, rich in nitrogen, for use into fields to improve the soil and help grow crops.
Watch this video to know more about food waste recycling.
 Tips to reduce food waste
Half of the food we throw away can be eaten. Consider making some of these small changes to reduce the amount of food wasted in your household and save on your food bills.
- Plan your shopping
- Use the portion calculator to measure how much you need to buy for a meal for each person
- Choose loose fruit and veg instead of a bag, which help make sure you’re only buying what you’re definitely going to use
- Use leftovers
- Check out the Love Food Hate Waste website for loads of creative recipes that give you inspirations to use your leftovers
- Eat seasonal
- Growing fruit and vegetable in season requires lower levels of artificial inputs like heating, lighting, pesticides and fertilisers than at other times of the year. It is also tastier, healthier and more sustainable to eat seasonably.
- The Eat Seasonably website has a calendar that helps you discover what’s ripe, ready and at its best throughout the year
- Use fridge and freezer more
- Have your fridge at the right temperature – between 0°C and 5°C – can help preserve food for longer
- Fruit lasts up to two weeks longer in the fridge in the pack it came in than in a fruit bowl
- However, potatoes and onions should be kept out of the fridge and stored in a cool, dark place
- Find out more about storing different kinds of food on the Love Food Hate Waste website
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