What you can recycle
Did you know that 8.3 million tonnes of food is thrown away in the UK each year equating to £12 billion wasted. That’s over £500 per household per year. Reducing food waste and the cost to our families is a major issue. Campaigns like the DOE’s Rethink Waste campaign aim to be a source of ‘waste not, want not’ advice for the times we live in. You can log on online at www.lovefoodhatewasteni.org for some top tips on using leftovers, storage and saving time and money in the kitchen. For example, when planning food shopping make a list and keep to it, or don’t be tempted by in-store offers to buy extra which isn’t needed! That way you can help reduce waste and keep a few pounds in your pocket.
The best thing that can happen to food is that it makes it to our plates and is enjoyed. However, some food waste is inevitable – things like egg shells, banana skins and tea bags are never going to be stars on the menu! Recycling food waste, by including it in brown bins for composting, is one way of tackling this major environmental and economic issue and so Cookstown District Council has launched a new food waste collection for those households with brown bins. Starting from April 2011, households with brown bins have been able to use them to dispose of food waste in addition to garden waste. The material is collected with grass cuttings and other garden waste to be treated and composted into a rich peat-free soil improver that can be used in gardens and for pot-plants.
The type of food waste that can go into the brown bin includes both cooked and uncooked food. Items that can go in are as follows; Food scraps can be wrapped in a sheet of old newspaper. Because the contents of the bins are to be composted, it is important that you do not use plastic bags or bin liners, even if they are biodegradable. Brown bins containing bags will not be emptied.
This scheme is designed to remove any food waste from black bins allowing you to have more room in-between collections. Everyone is encouraged to use all bins correctly and be mindful of the materials deposited in them. Plastic bags, soil and stones must NOT be placed in brown bins and all materials in your blue bin should be dry and clean. It is also important to ensure that bins do not become overloaded – make sure you can close the lid of your bin easily. If you have any extra material or overly large waste items, you can take them to Cookstown or Moneymore Recycling Centres which operate 6 days per week. Leaflets & collection calendars have been delivered to households with more specific details; for more information please visit the Council’s website www.cookstown.gov.uk or phone 028 8676 2205.
