Residents targeted in food recycling campaign

Residents in Newtown are being targeted in a drive to get them to recycle more food waste.

Powys County Council is to target the town as part of a campaign to increase the use of kerbside recycling and wants residents to recycle all of their waste food.
 
Latest figures show that households in Powys are recycling on average 69kg of food waste per household a year, 10 per cent less than the rest of the county.
 
Now the council’s Recycling and Waste Team want Newtown households to recycle all their food waste every week by using the weekly household kerbside collection service.
 
Cllr Heulwen Hulme, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Food waste collection rates across the county have been fluctuating in recent months with some excellent periods and others showing a decline. We want residents to recycle as much of their food waste as possible and will be on the streets in Newtown try to help households to get more from their waste service.
 
“On average, 75kg of food waste is being recycled per household in the county each year but the rate varies and we want to increase food waste collection rates and cut the volume going to landfill.
 
“Sending food waste to landfill is expensive and bad for the environment.  Using our kerbside collection service sees all food waste being recycled as it is sent to an anaerobic digestion facility in South Wales to make green energy and fertiliser for Welsh farmers.”
 
An analysis of residual waste suggests that as much as 16 per cent of waste put into the black wheeled bin that is sent to landfill is made up of food waste.
 
The Newtown initiative will include roadshows at the town’s library and target houses in Trehafren, Treown and other parts of the town with a leaflet and information campaign throughout October and November.
 
For more information on what items can be recycled using the weekly food waste kerbside collection service visit www.powys.gov.uk/recycle.