Councils awarded millions of pounds for the rollout of food waste collections
BID TO CUT DOWN ON FOOD GOING TO LANDFILL
NORTHERN Lincolnshire councils have been awarded millions of pounds by the Government to prepare for a significant change in bin collections.
The Government is requiring the rollout of weekly food waste collections for most households in England by March 31, 2026. It is part of its Simpler Recycling plans. These aim to make the types of material people can recycle uniform across England. Presently, these can vary by local authority, creating confusion.
In September, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ruled out households needing seven rubbish and recycling bins, though that was not ever official government policy. But separate food waste bins are being pressed ahead with.
The new food waste collection requirement is to cut down on food waste going to landfill, and to stop smelly food languishing in bins for weeks.
The government has announced the award of £295m to councils to enable them to prepare for the big change.
North East Lincolnshire Council leader Cllr Philip Jackson confirmed at its latest full council meeting it will get £1.2m.
He stated it will be used to buy bins, caddies and the vehicles to collect them.
“We are currently assessing how the scheme will operate with a view to providing an update in autumn this year and implementation by April 2026.”
North Lincolnshire Council, with a wider geographical spread, has been awarded £1.5m.
Across Humberside, £7.3m of government cash is to be invested over the next year to prepare for the separate food bin collection era. Over ten million tonnes of food is wasted in the UK every year. By separating the collection of food waste, it will prevent the contamination of other waste that can be usefully recycled. The food will also end up at anaerobic digestion facilities, rather than landfill.
The government has estimated more than 18 million tonnes of greenhouse gases can be cut by shifting food waste away from landfill.
The funding formula for councils was developed by the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) with waste charity WRAP.
WRAP’s director of insight and innovations, Claire Shrewsbury, said: “Weekly food waste collections will give recycling in England an important boost and help reduce the impact of food waste on climate change.
“Our research shows that when food waste collections are introduced, and people see how much food goes to waste in their home, they want to do something about it. “And with food waste costing a household of four around £1,000 a year, weekly collections will not only help prevent food waste in the first place, but utilise the food waste collected to generate green energy and compost.”