FAQ - Food Waste Collections

Why will the Council be collecting food waste separately?
I don't have time to recycle – why should I use this service?
What food waste will be collected?
What should I not put in the food waste collection?
Can I put animal waste and bedding in the food waste container?
Should I use liners for the container?
Could I use biodegradable plastic bags as liners?
Could I wrap food waste in foil or in plastic bags?
Would I be able to put food waste in with my normal domestic waste?
Why can't we home compost all food waste?
Should I stop composting at home?
I wouldn't need to use this scheme as I compost at home already
How will the food waste be collected?
Where would I place my container on a weekly basis to ensure it got collected?
How often would I put the food waste container out for collection?
What would happen if my container not emptied?
Would any assistance be available if I'm unable to put my food waste bin out myself?
What will happen to the food waste?
What would I do if the food waste container is not big enough to take all my food waste?
Will the compost be sold to the public?
Where should I keep my container?
Will my kitchen waste get very dirty and smelly?
What about smells, bugs, germs, vermin and flies?

Why will the Council be collecting food waste separately?

We are rapidly running out of landfill space in Devon and need to recycle and compost more of the waste that we produce. Nearly a quarter of household waste in East Devon by weight is cooked and uncooked food waste which generates the harmful greenhouse gas, methane, if disposed of at landfill. Under the new service, food waste from East Devon will be taken to a facility called an anaerobic digester where it will be turned into compost. 

I don't have time to recycle – why should I use this service?

By taking part in the scheme you will be directly helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated by food waste at landfill sites. Legislation requires councils to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste being sent to landfill or incur financial penalties of £150 per tonne. You will therefore be helping to keep Council Tax bills down by diverting food waste from landfill.  Food waste makes up nearly a quarter of all household waste by weight and can be turned into useful compost.  We have designed this service so it is easy to use if you follow our advice.  All you will need to do is put your food waste in the food waste container instead of your usual rubbish bin and put it out weekly on your normal collection day. Once you became used to putting your waste in the appropriate container it will soon become second nature.  We are all responsible for generating waste and must learn to deal with it in a responsible way.

What food waste will be collected?

Meat and fish – raw and cooked including bones
Dairy products including eggs, egg shells, butter and cheese
Raw and cooked vegetables and fruit
Bread, cakes and pastries
Rice, pasta and beans
Uneaten food from your plates and dishes
Tea and coffee grounds
Cat and dog food

What should I not put in the food waste collection?

Plastic bags and packaging of any sort
Liquids
Any oil and fat (including solid fats such as lard)
Animal faeces
Cardboard
Nappies
Pet litter
Animal bedding

Can I put animal waste and bedding in the food waste container?

No Do not place animal waste in the new food waste container.  You could either flush this down your toilet or double bag it and place it in with your normal landfill waste.

Should I use liners for the container?

Using approved compostable liners might make it easier for you to keep your food waste container clean. A network of stores will be set up that will sell approved liners that could be used in the containers. Alternatively, you could line your food waste container with newspaper or kitchen roll, which is biodegradable, or simply rinse it out after emptying it. The containers are dishwasher proof.

Could I use biodegradable plastic bags as liners?

No, you can’t use biodegradable plastic bags or normal plastic carrier bags as liners. Only approved compostable liners, which are made from corn starch or paper should be used to line your food waste container. Our collectors would not be able to tell if your bag is fully biodegradable to the necessary standard unless it is one of the approved liners.

There are some supermarkets who are date stamping their biodegradable plastic bags.  This is for their purposes to indicate when the bag becomes weak and should no longer be used.  These cannot be used for food waste recycling, please only use compostable bags.

Could I wrap food waste in foil or in plastic bags?

No, please do not put any type of packaging such as plastic, foil, cling film or cardboard in the container.  This type of material would contaminate the process.

Would I be able to put food waste in with my normal domestic waste?

We would encourage all residents to participate fully in the proposed service as your food waste is collected every week. Your landfill bin is collected every fortnight, therefore leaving food waste hanging around for 2 weeks. Also, local authorities face financial penalties if they do not meet targets to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste sent to landfill, where it generates the potent greenhouse gas methane.

Why can't we home compost all food waste?

Food waste such as fruit / vegetable peelings, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds can be placed in home compost bins. Anything that has been cooked or that contains products derived from an animal should not be placed in home compost bins because it will smell and can attract vermin.

Should I stop composting at home?

No, don't stop! Home composting is still the best way to deal with garden waste as well as a lot of uncooked food waste, such as fruit and vegetable peelings. Cooked food and meat should not be put into normal home composting bins as they can encourage unwanted vermin. However, specialist units (Green Johanna, Green Cone) are available that allow you to compost cooked food and meat at home. For more information please follow this link to our pages on composting.

I wouldn't need to use this scheme as I compost at home already.

We would encourage you to continue composting at home. However, we would collect all meat, fish, bones, cooked food and dairy products using the food waste container, which are items you should not put in with your compost at home.

How will the food waste be collected?

The food waste will be collected weekly on your normal collection day. Every household will be issued with a 7 litre food waste caddy and a 25 litre kerbside food waste bin. Householders will need to put their food waste container out at kerbside with the lid in the locked position by 7am on collection day.

Where would I place my container on a weekly basis to ensure it got collected?

Place your food waste container, with its handle in the locked (forward) position, at the kerbside where it is visible from the roadside, or where you usually place your recyclables. You would need to make sure the position did not endanger other pavement or highway users. As with other waste containers, it should be left out by 7:00am on the day of collection, but no earlier than the previous evening.

How often would I put the food waste container out for collection?

Once a week. Please place at kerbside by 7am on your normal collection day.

What would happen if my food waste container is not emptied?

As long as you follow our advice about what can and cannot be placed in each receptacle they should be emptied. Any missed collection should be reported to the Council on 01395 571515. Missed collections should be emptied within 24 hours.

Would any assistance be available if I'm unable to put my food waste bin out myself?

Yes. The Council would be able to provide assisted collections. Please contact the council on 01395 571515 for more information. Anyone who has already been approved for assisted collections with their recycling will not need to reapply.

What will happen to the food waste?

It will be taken to an anaerobic digestion facility that is fully licensed to accept all types of food waste and is compliant with the Animal By-Product Regulations. These regulations are enforced by the Animal Health Division of the Government who ensure there are proper safeguards taken during the process. The process is that it is placed in an enclosed vessel where it then produces methane gas and this is used to drive motors to produce electricity. The whole facility is designed and constructed in order to be safe and comply with strict regulations. This has been tried and tested successfully in various parts of the country. The process also produces a compost like material which is used by local farmers.

What would I do if the food waste container is not big enough to take all my food waste?

If this is a regular issue, please contact the Council on 01395 571515 

Will the compost be sold to the public?

It is unlikely that this will be offered for sale as it is unlikely to comply with the now accepted standard for compost.

Where should I keep my container?

That would be entirely up to you. If you do not have space in your kitchen to store your caddy, you could safely keep it outside. By using the handle as a locking mechanism, you can seal the lid of your container to prevent foxes etc getting inside. If you stored the caddy outside, you should then empty it on a regular basis into your kerbside food waste container.

Will my kitchen waste bin get very dirty and smelly?

It shouldn’t, provided that basic housekeeping rules are followed. Food waste could be put inside approved liners or wrapped in newspaper or kitchen roll. The lid of the food waste containers should always be kept closed.

If your food waste container becomes dirty, we would advise that you swill it out with disinfectant or bicarbonate of soda after it has been emptied. Rinse containers where appropriate and, when your bin is empty, you could place a newspaper in the base to soak up excess liquids.

What about smells, bugs, germs, vermin and flies?

If the food waste container is kept clean and locked to keep the lid firmly in place there should no problem with smells, vermin or flies.  The locking feature will prevent smells escaping as well as avoiding attracting unwanted attention from the animal world. The lid of the container should be locked shut for collection. There is no evidence from the other  schemes that operate across the country and a study in 2006 that there are any health issues with any waste disposal scheme.  It depends on residents being responsible and wrapping food waste, keeping the bin lid closed and keeping the bin clean there should be no problem with smells, vermin or flies.

Page last updated on 27 January 2011