Portsmouth households throw out 27 tonnes in new food waste bins

At the end of last month 10,000 homes were issued with food waste caddies and added to the collection route in Portsmouth.

Now The News can reveal around the amount collected in the new bins – 27.30 tonnes – accounts for 16 per cent of the black bin waste in those areas included.

Colette Hill, assistant director of housing, buildings, and neighbourhood services said there had been ‘good participation’ since the expanded trial started on September 28.

She said: ‘It is still relatively early but the trial has had good participation and been well-received by residents.

‘We've had a couple of calls from people asking for the caddies to be removed as they do not produce any food waste, and we have taken a number of calls from residents outside of the trial areas wanting to know when they will get a food waste collection.

‘We will proactively seek feedback from those involved in the trial, but this is planned for later in the trial - once residents have been using the food caddies for a while.’

Plate scrapings, tea bags and coffee grounds can be put in the caddies along with other types of food.

The waste is recycled and turned into fuel and fertiliser, rather than incinerated.

Around 774 tonnes was collected in the first 12 months from 8,000 homes in the pilot scheme before another 10,000 were added.

Ms Hill added: ‘No waste has been diverted from landfill as we use the Energy Recovery Facility to dispose of our waste.

‘Black bag waste is incinerated and energy recovered creating electricity. Portsmouth has one of the lowest landfill use rates in the country.

Households in the trial get a small main bin, with an even smaller caddy for the kitchen.

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People can use the biodegradable bags provided, buy their own or use no bags.

Sarah Beasley, 24, of Lawrence Road in Southsea, is among the 8,000 initial households included in the scheme.

She said: ‘Hopefully it’s opened people’s eyes to the amount of waste we have.’

Sarah added: ‘By segregating the waste it made me really realise how much food waste we throw out when we really should be more thoughtful.’

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