As the UK takes further steps to become waste-free, residents in West Dorset are being urged to take part in a new kerbside food recycling scheme.
From April 26th, people living in the Sherborne area of the region will be able to access a weekly pick-up of all their food waste, such as cakes, eggs, meat, vegetables and tea bags.
The food waste will then be deployed to Sherborne’s West Mill Lane Household Recycling Centre to be ‘bulked up’ before being taken to Eco-Composting in Dorset where it will be turned into compost.
It is hoped the scheme will cut the 7,000 tonnes of food waste that currently ends up in the borough’s landfill sites.
Ian Doyle, West Dorset services manager, said: "Aside from the large and increasing cost to tax payers for sending waste to landfill, food waste rotting in landfill creates methane.
"Half of this food waste thrown away could have been composted at home at very little cost."
If the initiative proves successful it could be extended in other areas, therefore creating a demand for bulk material handling facilities and related machinery.
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