New food-waste system for 40,000 West Lindsey homes

West Lindsey District Council will need to roll out food waste collections to more than 40,000 homes under government plans to stop leftovers going to landfill, figures show.
Rubbish bins.Rubbish bins.
Rubbish bins.

The Environment Bill outlines plans for food waste to be collected separately from all households by 2023, with a campaign group calling uneaten food in the country an "environmental nightmare of epic proportions".

An analysis of data from waste reduction charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap), which supports the proposals, shows the estimated 42,000 households in West Lindsey do not get their kitchen scraps picked up by the council. This means West Lindsey District Council, along with around half of all English local authorities, will have to introduce a new food waste collection within three years.

A West Lindsey District Council spokesman said: “Councils across Lincolnshire are working together to look at different ways to meet waste and recycling challenges and food waste collections may become a permanent part of this, as they are in other parts of the country. Residents should be reassured that food waste placed in our black bins is processed at an energy-from-waste facility at North Hykeham rather than going landfill. We continue to promote waste reduction and support campaigns such Love Food, Hate Waste as by far the best environmental option. Research has shown that by reducing food waste in your home, our residents could save an average of £70 per month.”

The research from Wrap, which shows that the average UK household wastes eight meals a week, suggests around 7,000 tonnes of food are thrown away in the area each year. Typically, food waste is collected from houses using a caddy in the kitchen and putting out the scraps in another container outside for collection, or it can be combined with garden waste.

Figures provided by 326 English local authorities to Wrap for 2018-2019 show West Lindsey District Council is one of 160 councils not to provide any food waste collections for residents. The Government says its preference is for separate collections rather than with garden waste.