Food Waste Collection
Update June 2010: Weekly food waste collection currently is available to over 26,000 local households. The remaining 11,000+ Stirling Council properties are expected to be provided with this collection option later this summer and autumn. Check the My Bins page to see when your house will get this service.
Why collect food waste?
A recent audit has shown that around 33% of an average household bin in Scotland consists of food waste. Food waste can be turned into compost for growing plants. It is a waste sending this valuable resource to be buried in landfill where it will produce methane and other noxious greenhouse gases.
Stirling Council provides a weekly food waste collection service to householders to minimise our environmental impact, avoid huge financial penalities in the coming years and reduce sharply rising landfill taxes.
Can I reduce my food waste?
Yes! Although collecting it is better than landfilling, the very best way to deal with food waste is not to create it in the first place. Around half of the food thrown in the bin could have been eaten. For help with buying what you need, storing, economically preparing and using leftovers, please visit Love Food Hate Waste.
You can also choose to compost food waste at home, if you prefer. To purchase a subsidised compost bin, visit Waste Aware Scotland or call 0845 600 0323 and press the appropriate button for Scotland after listening to the long message.
Can the new food waste collection system be used for any food waste I do have?
Yes. When the collection is available in your area, we will provide you with a kitchen caddy and a starter pack of biodegradable liners, along with an instruction leaflet. Simply add your food waste to the caddy while preparing meals or whenever they arise. Every week, on your collection day, please tie the liners and place the whole caddy in or beside your recycling box. The box and caddy should be left at kerbside for emptying as usual.
Won’t the bin smell? What about vermin?
A weekly food waste service will remove the materials most likely to smell from your grey bin. The food waste caddy can be stored indoors or outdoors without risk of it being broken into by vermin. Placing it inside your recycling box will further protect the caddy and make it easier for collection crews to empty. Wrapping the food waste in paper prior to putting it in your bin will help soak up any liquids. Regularly cleaning your caddy will also help to prevent smells.
What if I need another recycling box or kitchen caddy?
Additional recycling boxes, box covers and kitchen caddies are available at no cost to you, if needed. Call 0845 277 7000 to have one delivered. The council does not supply additional biodegradable liners, but they can be purchased locally or on-line.
How can I get more biodegradable liners?
Twenty liners are supplied for free. If you run out and would like to keep using them, additional 100% biodegradable liners can be purchased from various suppliers, including Recycle Now. They are listed under home composting accessories. See the page on Liners for a list of local suppliers and further details of the liners you are allowed to use in this scheme. You can use a liner purchased in a supermarket or garden centre as long as it has this ‘fully compostable’ symbol on it.
Note: Please tie liners before putting your caddy out for collection.
What if I don't want to buy more liners?
It is OK to wrap your food waste in paper, instead of using liners. You can also choose not to use a liner at all, but the caddy will require regular washing. Please note, we cannot accept your food waste in plastic carrier bags. They cannot be composted and will contaminate the load.
What happens to the food waste after it's collected?
Every week, kerbside collection crews empty caddies of food waste into dedicated stillages on the recycling lorries. These stillages are then emptied into a sealed skip at the recycling depot. This skip is transported daily to our contracted processor -- Leavenseat Organics -- where it is composted. The regulations for processing food waste require that a specialised in-vessel system is used so the end product is suitable for application as a soil improver.
I don’t have time to recycle - why should I have to do this?
We all are responsible for the waste we produce. This service is easy if you follow our advice. All you need to do is save your food waste in the caddy instead of your usual grey bin and put it out in your recycling box for collection. By taking part in the scheme you will be directly helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as helping the council avoid landfill taxes and potential fines for sending biodegradable waste to landfill.
