Campaign highlighting food waste sees 20 per cent rise in recycling

During March, April and May 2016 South Northamptonshire Council tested campaign material for WRAP, a charity which works with governments, businesses and communities to improve resource efficiency.

Cllr Dermot Bambridge, SNC’s portfolio holder for environmental services said: “We thank our residents who regularly recycle their food waste and those who have now come on board since the publicity campaign.

“A 20 per cent increase in food waste recycling over just three months means that another 140 tonnes of waste has been diverted from expensive and unfriendly land fill to be turned into electricity and farm fertilizer.”

During spring, WRAP funded a wide variety of promotions which included: social media adverts that were seen by more than 40,000 people, bin stickers reminding people that food waste should not go in their black bin, petrol pump adverts, mobile and static billboards, and takeaway container lids with campaign messages.

During the campaign SNC collected 747 tonnes of food waste, compared to 607 tonnes during that same period in 2015 (a 20 per cent increase).

The number of indoor and outdoor food waste caddies ordered by residents also rose by 170 per cent (130 during the campaign compared 52 in the same period in 2015), and there was a 185 per cent increase in traffic to the waste and recycling pages on the SNC website.

Householders in South Northants needing more information on waste and recycling, or to order replacement or missing bins, can visit www.southnorthants.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling.htm, or call SNC on 01327 322344.