Food waste bins could roll out across rest of Portsmouth under city council plans

About two thirds of the city is covered by the ongoing trial which started in 2019 and moved into its fourth phase last month.

Plans are being put together by Portsmouth City Council to complete the roll out next year but this will be dependent on councillors including it in their next budget.

The trial was launched in response to analysis that showed 40 per cent of general waste thrown out by homes in the city was food.

At its start in September 2019, just over 14,000 homes were included. Another 14,000 were added last year before a further 22,000 in September and October this year.

More than 2,700 tonnes have been collected which, the council said, was diverting about 20 per cent of waste to be recycled.

Councillor Kimberly Barrett, the council's cabinet member for climate change, said it was one of the most impactful measures that could have been introduced.

'We've run campaigns and are raising awareness of the issue but nothing quite shows the extent of food waste until you bring in collections,' she said. 'On top of the impact of reducing general waste, it's also stopping the problem in the first place.'

Collected food waste is sent to an anaerobic digester where it is converted into biogas used to generate electricity, heat or fuel and also produces a fertiliser.

Colette Hill, the council's assistant director of neighbourhoods, confirmed plans for a fifth and sixth phase of the roll-out 'have been developed' although funding had yet to be agreed.

'We are working on plans to roll it out across the rest of the city but we will only be able to do this if we get funding in the budget,' she said.

She added that the council expected to receive government money to cover the cost of the service as part of the new Environment Bill but short-term funding needed to be allocated in the council's own budget while it was operating the service 'voluntarily'.

The bill will put extra recycling responsibilities on local authorities from 2023, including standardising what is collected across the country.