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Wirral set to introduce food
recycling
RECYCLING rates in Wirral are set to
soar as Council announces proposals to invest in a new, weekly, household food
recycling service for every resident.
In a move that will also significantly reduce the environmental impact of our
food waste, the Council is proposing to invest in a new weekly collection of
leftover or unused food to be recycled and turned into fuel.
Cllr Bernie Mooney, Wirral Council Cabinet member for Environment, said:-
"We have got a responsibility to do everything we can to improve and protect our
environment. We committed to this in our Wirral Plan and we take that commitment
extremely seriously. The evidence from looking at what we throw away in Wirral
shows that almost 40% of rubbish that goes in the green waste bins is food, so
by investing in a food recycling collection service we will significantly boost
our recycling rate. That is the compelling evidence we have seen in every other
area which has invested in a household food waste collection service. In Wirral,
we estimate we need to reduce residual waste by 16,000 tonnes to help us achieve
our challenging target of recycling 50% of household waste by 2020."
Cllr Mooney added:- "Perhaps more importantly, recycling leftover food is
the right thing to do for the environment. Rotting food in landfill generates
methane, which is a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide and
which contributes to climate change.The food that will be collected in the new
containers will be taken to a special processing plant in Widnes, which will
result in it generating renewable energy and a nutrient-rich fertiliser that can
be used to grow more food."
Residents will be given a small caddy to store in their home, a supply of liner
bags and a small container for the bagged food waste, which can then be left out
for collection every week alongside whatever other bin is due for collection
that day.
This proposal is contained in a report going to the Council's ruling Cabinet
next week. The report sets out options for the future operation of domestic
refuse collections and recommends that the proposals go out to public
consultation before any final decision is made.
Cllr Mooney continued:- "We have come a long way in the last 10 years in
Wirral with our recycling. Back in 2006, we were recycling 12% of all household
waste. Now, our recycling rate stands at around 36%.However, we still have a way
to go in order to get to 50% by 2020. This is not just an arbitrary target; it
is a pledge we have made to residents and is also something we have to achieve
by law or else we will be hit by expensive fines. It is also likely that the
levy we pay for our waste disposal and treatment would rise significantly from
the current £15.4 million each year. We have set out our proposals and the
options for consultation we are excited about getting out and about in Wirral
and having a conversation with residents about the best way forward."
In addition to the introduction of a food recycling service, the other major
decision to be made is to how to adapt the residual waste collections
accordingly.
The options for consultation are whether to replace the current green bins with
a new, slightly smaller bin following the introduction of the food recycling
service, or to move to a 3 weekly collection schedule for residual waste
only.
Consultation will begin in mid July for 6 weeks; full details of how residents
can get involved will be issued nearer the time. Changes to collections will not
take effect until 2017.
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