Food Waste Collection

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Food Waste Collection

The Scottish Government has introduced new Regulations that require all councils to collect food waste.

To help you separate your food waste, we will provide you with a kitchen caddy and a kerbside caddy.

Line your kitchen caddy with a liner. We will supply these.
Empty your kitchen caddy regularly into your kerbside food caddy.

It will be a weekly collection

Once you have received your caddies and the food collection begins your blue box will now also be collected weekly.

Place your kerbside caddy, textile bag and blue box along with your household bin out for collection.

What will be collected:

Yes please to:

bread, cakes and pastries
dairy products and egg shells
tea and coffee grounds
rice, pasta and beans
fish and meat - raw and cooked including bones
pet food
fruit and vegetable peelings
scrapings from plates
semi-liquid products such as yoghurt

No thanks for now:

pet waste
liquids

The benefits of recycling food waste

Your food waste will be used to generate energy and be processed into fertilisers for the farming industry.
It cuts down the amount of food waste that ends up in landfill sites. The gasses released are linked to climate change.
Your green bin will be less full if you recycle your food waste.
It may even show what food is being wasted allowing you to take steps to reduce this and make real savings in the family food budget. More information to help you reduce your food waste can be found at the Love Food Hate Waste web site.

When will it start

The issue of caddies and information packs began on Monday 4th March, and will take around 5 weeks to complete.

Colllections will begin on Monday 11th March.

If you have not received your caddy and pack by April 30th, please contact us on our Environmental line 0500 545 540, or by e-mail to wasteservices@clacks.gov.uk.

Alternatively you can write to us at the address given at the bottom of the page.

Frequently Asked Questions

I am short of time. Why are we doing this?

There are a number of reasons for doing this. They include:

More than 30% of the waste in an average green bin is food waste. This mixture includes plate scrapings, food that has passed its use by date and items that we do not eat such as tea bags, potato peelings, and banana skins. When all this decomposes in a landfill site, it produces methane gas, which contributes to climate change.
The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 will not allow us in the future to landfill biodegradable waste such as food.
Currently we pay tax every time we send waste to landfill. Therefore, the less we send to landfill, the less we pay in tax.
Collected food waste is treated in an environmentally friendly way forming a fertiliser for use on agricultural land. During the process, the energy released is converted to electricity.

Will the food caddy smell?

No it shouldn't:

Tie or wrap up the food waste in the liner tightly before putting it in your kerbside caddy.
Empty your kitchen caddy regularly into the kerbside caddy.
Every week remember to place it along with your blue box and textile bag beside either your green or blue bin ready for collection.Your blue box and textile bag will be collected weekly when your food waste collection starts. Until then the blue box and textile bag remain a fortnightly collection.
Always lock your caddy by bringing the handle upright.
If you can place your caddy in your blue box please do so to reduce the chance of it being blown away.

What size are the kitchen food caddy and kerbside food caddy?

The kitchen caddy is small enough to fit on your kitchen worktop.

The kerbside caddy has plenty of space for food waste but can be placed inside your blue box beside your glass, small electrical items and batteries. You can then place your textile bag on top.

I have run out of liners for my caddy. Where can I get more?

When your supply of liners is running low simply tie an unused liner to the handle of the kerbside caddy on your normal collection day. A new supply of liners will be placed inside your caddy after it has been emptied.
Alternatively you can request liners using our on-line order form.

Are we encouraging people to reduce food waste?

Yes, by asking people to separate their food waste, hopefully they will identify what can be avoided and take action to reduce this. Information on reducing food waste is available at the love food, hate waste web site.

The food waste collection is for the food waste that is unavoidable such as meat and fish bones, potato peelings, tea bags, banana skins etc.

In the future, there will be a landfill ban on this type of waste and therefore we need a separate food collection service.

I live in a flat; will I get a food waste collection?

If you have a blue box then you will be included in the food waste collection service. If not then we will try to include your property as soon as we can.

When is my food waste collection day?

Your food waste collection day will be the same day as your blue /green bin. Check your collection calendar. If you do not have a calendar then you can request one by calling 0500 545 540 or alternatively you can download one from the Waste Collection Calendar Page.

Will the food waste kerbside caddy attract vermin?

No, but to make sure:

Use the liners for all food waste.
Make sure you keep your caddy locked when not in use by pulling the handle of the caddy forward.
Put your caddy out for collection every week.
Keep your caddy clean.

I get assistance with my bins and boxes on collection day; will I get assistance with my kerbside food caddy?

Yes, this should happen automatically. You do not need to do anything. If there is a problem then call 0500 545 540 and we will rectify the problem.

My kerbside food waste caddy was not emptied and a label placed on it. What should I do?

If your caddy contained material that should not be there such as plastic bottles or glass, then take the materials out and call the contact centre on 0500 545 540. We will come and empty it as soon as we can.

I compost all my food waste, I do not need the food waste caddies therefore can I hand them back?

Please keep your caddies. Domestic compost bins should only be used to compost fruit and vegetable food waste, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds.

You should not place meat, fish, and cooked food in domestic compost bins that could attract vermin. Use the food collection service for these items.

Some households have a waste digester such as a green cone. If you have one then please still keep your kitchen and kerbside caddies as an option should circumstances change.

What will happen to my food waste after collection?

The food waste we collect will be taken to a processing plant. This plant will treat the food waste in an environmentally friendly way forming a fertiliser for use on agricultural land. During the process, the energy released is converted to electricity.

Can I put my house number on my kerbside caddy?