Lichfield and Tamworth stop collecting food waste

Lichfield District Council and Tamworth Borough Council are no longer accepting food waste in brown organics bins due to costs, it has been announced.

This summer, the two councils (which operate a joint waste service) told residents to place food waste in their black residual waste bins or home composters instead of in their organics bins (for green waste and food waste), as it was ‘not cost effective’ to continue sending it to indoor composting facilities.

According to the council, garden waste can be composted at a ‘cheaper’, outdoor composting facility, but food waste must be sent to an in-vessel composting (IVC) facility that regulates temperature to break down the bacteria present.

Brown bin waste was being sent to IVC facilities in Etwall near Derby and Shareshill near Wolverhampton.

However, as only 20 per cent of residents reportedly used their organics bin to dispose of food waste, the council said it was ‘not cost effective’ to continue treating it through this ‘expensive process’.

Instead, food waste must now either be placed in residual waste bins, which are collected on a fortnightly basis to be processed at an energy-for-waste facility, or be composted at home, so that brown bins can be sent to a local outdoor composting facility.

This will reportedly save the authorities £400,000 every year.

‘Wrap food waste to avoid odours and maggots’

The council added that this decision will ‘make [the] service more efficient and help to protect other local services across Lichfield and Tamworth’.

To reinforce the message, the councils have unveiled giant advertisements on the side of their waste and recycling trucks (pictured right) to remind people of the change.

Councillor Iain Eadie, Lichfield District Council’s Cabinet Member for IT & Waste Management, said: “We hope plenty of people will see the travelling advertisements and other promotional material we’ve created, because food waste could now contaminate the garden waste we compost, so it’s really important that everyone remembers to add it to their black bins from now on.”

Addressing concerns about smells emanating from residual waste bins, the council advised residents to ‘wrap food waste items… in newspaper or a bin liner’, adding that if wrapped tightly or tied shut, there ‘should be no way for flies to get to it, which should prevent maggots’.

Residents are also advised to keep bin lids closed at all times and to clean the bin of residues using antibacterial cleaner (or hiring a bin cleaning company).

Eadie added: “Our frequently asked questions page gives a lot of detailed information about disposing of your food waste. For example, we explain that any fruit or vegetables grown in the garden, that may have spoiled or dropped off trees, can still be put into your brown bins. However, things like potato peelings and cauliflower leaves, which are removed while cooking, must not be put in your brown bin as they have been prepared in the kitchen and may have come into contact with other food bacteria.”

Find out more about the changes to the brown bin services in Lichfield and Tamworth.