Weekly food waste collection trial

Survey - May 2022

Please complete one of our surveys by Sunday 5 June to help us improve the service. 

Survey for people who live in houses

Survey for people who live in flats

Purpose of the trial

The purpose of the trial is to test collecting food waste more frequently on a larger scale; to see if it increases recycling and reduces the amount of food waste collected in black bins. It is also to test whether our local composting plant can adapt their process to fully compost the bio-degradable plastic caddy liners, also on a larger scale. 

Liner replenishment 

Please continue to tie an empty liner to the handle of your outdoor caddy to request additional liners and the crew will leave a roll behind after emptying it. If you have done so but not received a replacement roll, this has been raised with our operations team who will endeavour to deliver liners to you on the next collection day. With continued changes to our staff for the food waste rounds and the volume of liners that have been requested, the crew have been running out. Apologies for any inconvenience.

In the meantime, you can use either paper liners to line your caddy, or use newspaper (it is advised to use 3-4 sheets for extra strength as the food waste may be moist).

What you can put in your caddy:

  • All uneaten food and plate scrapings
  • Dairy products (cheese, eggs; including shells)
  • Bread, cakes, pastries
  • Raw meat, cooked meat, bones
  • Fish, cooked fish, bones
  • Tea bags, coffee grounds
  • Raw vegetables, cooked vegetables, whole fruit, peelings
  • Rice, pasta, beans
  • Kitchen roll/tissues

Please do not put any of the following materials in your caddy:

  • Packaging of any kind
  • Liquids such as milk
  • Oil or liquid fat
  • Wet-wipes

Participants have a small kitchen caddy with bio-degradable liners, and a large outdoor caddy to empty this into, which is collected weekly at the kerbside with their other bins.

No. If we decided to roll out weekly food waste collections to the rest of the district we will let you know. All households can have a free kitchen caddy to collect food waste to put in their green wheelie bin – you can collect one from council receptions. Please ensure you use paper caddy liners if you are putting the food waste in your green wheelie bin though.

Historically we have not been able to collect food waste in bio-degradable plastic caddy liners.  The purpose of the trial is to establish whether our fast composting system could be adapted to break down bio-degradable plastic liners quickly enough, and whether we can accept them in the future. We are trialling this separately in a small area and are not currently accepting liners in non-trial locations that use green wheelie bins for food. 

As we want to test how the bio-degradable plastic liners break down, please use these for the duration of the trial. Food waste wrapped in paper bags and newspaper can be put into your green bin. Food waste wrapped in plastic bags should be put into your black bin. Plastic bags must not be used in either your green bin or your food waste caddy. Food waste wrapped in your bio-degradable plastic caddy liner should only be placed in your new outdoor food caddy. If you put bio-degradable liners in your green bin we will not be able to empty it.

No. Please use the caddy liners we have supplied you with for the duration of the trial.

We don’t know how many residents have kept their original caddy, so we are issuing them to all residents in the trial. You can repurpose the new caddy to store useful items. If you can’t find a use for it, please contact us and we will arrange to have it collected.

Ideally, we would like you to use your food waste caddy to determine the effectiveness of the trial. However, if you are lacking space or it is necessary, you can use the green bin. Please remember not to put any bio-degradable liners into the green bin.

Please do not put food waste in your black bin. Please use your new food caddy.

Not all food can be composted at home. Please place meat, bones, fish and dairy in your food caddy.

Food waste is taken to the composting plant at the Waste Management Plant at Waterbeach, where it undergoes an intensive composting process. To test the caddy liners it will be handled separately from garden waste. The soil conditioner produced is sold for local agriculture and is also available to householders to collect free of charge.

If you are running out of liners, please tie one to your outdoor food caddy handle when you put it out for collection and our crew will drop off more liners. Alternatively, you can email a request for additional caddy liners to foodwastetrial@scambs.gov.uk

Wasting food is a waste of money; the average household throws away £600 worth of food a year! It’s also a waste of the energy and natural resources which went into the production, packaging and transportation of that food. The Love Food Hate Waste website is full of hints and tips that can help us all to save money and food.

Making sure the indoor caddy is lined will help keep it clean. Also, washing both caddies by hand or in the dishwasher will keep them clean and eliminate any smells.

Yes. Compostable items which you would normally collect in a container inside your home to take out to your green bin can be put in your food waste caddy.

Yes, all types of waste food can be collected.

No. Please use only the liners we provide. Other types of liner or wrapper may differ and decompose at varying rates.

No. Compostable plastic items all differ, need specific conditions to break down, and decompose at varying rates.  

Contact Details

foodwastetrial@scambs.gov.uk 01954 713 000

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