Composting scheme saves tonnes of food from landfill

The 48.02 tonnes of food waste is the total amount of kitchen scraps and leftover food placed in special "kitchen caddies" by householders before being transferred to a larger food waste bins outside their homes since the scheme started a month ago, on February 22.

Leeds City Council officials say that about 8,500 properties are involved in the six-month trial to see whether recycling rates can be increased by a scheme that includes separate food waste collections and more frequent green bin emptying

Area residents have been putting out their kitchen waste bins each week while green bin collections have been doubled to fortnightly. Garden waste brown bins are still emptied fortnightly, as usual for this time of year. Black general waste bins are being collected fortnightly.

Councillor James Monaghan, Leeds City Council's executive member responsible for recycling and refuse, said: "It is still very much early days but this is a very encouraging start for the first three weeks of the scheme as people get used to the new system.

"This is a significant amount of waste that would otherwise have simply rotted in the ground and given off harmful greenhouse gases which instead will be put to further use as compost."

While residents have provided plenty of positive feedback, some say the original collection arrangements were better.

Council research has shown that about 30 per cent of the total weight of what Leeds people put in their black bins is food waste – which could be as much as 40,000 tonnes a year.