More than 50,000 tonnes of food waste are not being recycled – equal to three and a half Big Bens!
New data has shown that more than half of all food waste that could be recycled in Surrey is ending up in rubbish bins every year. If that 50,594 tonnes were recycled instead, it would save Surrey councils a whopping £4 million that could be spent on essential services. That’s because it costs less to recycle food than it does to dispose of it as rubbish.
“In order to save as much money as possible for essential services and to help protect the environment, we should be recycling as much food waste as we can” said Councillor Neil Dallen, Chairman of the Surrey Environment Partnership (SEP). “I’d encourage anyone who doesn’t recycle food waste to start now and for those who do, make sure that you’re putting as much as you can in your caddy.”
SEP’s latest campaign encourages residents to reduce and recycle their food waste to help the environment. Free weekly collections mean it’s easy for Surrey residents to reduce their food waste footprint and help the planet. You can order a food waste caddy by contacting your local council.
Food waste collected by local crews is taken to an anaerobic digestion facility where it is broken down to produce biogas, which is collected and used to generate electricity. Find out more about what happens to your food waste here.
You can also reduce the amount of food you waste in the first place by using an app to help plan shopping and meals, freezing food that is nearing its use by date and by trying out new recipes to use up any leftovers.
To find more information about food waste recycling and for tips on how to reduce the amount of food you waste, click here.