Food Waste Recycling

 

This Food Waste Recycling Service is now part of the Weekly Recycling Trial running in North Aberdeenshire from 18 May 2009. It serves around 7,500 urban and rural properties.

 

 

• How to Use Your Food Waste Recycling Service
• What Types of Food You Can Recycle
• Why Recycle Your Food Waste?
• Should I Use This Scheme or Home Composting?

 

How to Use Your Food Waste Recycling Service

 

Please use ONLY the compostable bags supplied to line your kitchen caddy. These are made from corn starch so that they will compost with your food. Plastic bags and even other bags marked 'biodegradable' will not work with this composting system.

 

 

The kitchen caddy and liner bags are designed to take both cooked and uncooked food.

Avoid putting hot food in. Let it cool first. Also avoid runny substances such as liquids, oils and fats. Only put food in, never any type of wrapping or packaging.

 

The vented blue kitchen caddy and liner bags are designed to work together, drying out food contents and avoiding smells. You will probably find a bag lasts three or four days easily.

 

 

When the caddy liner bag is full, just tie the top, lift it out and put the bag in your green outdoor food waste bin. That way, you don't have to handle the food waste and you should avoid any spillages in your house or in the green outdoor food waste bin.

 

 

Please remember - do not line your green outdoor food waste bin with plastic bags. These could end up in the recycling collection and prevent it from working properly. The bin is designed to clean very easily if you wish to do this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please leave the large swing handle straight up if possible. This will keep the lid locked to prevent spillages and will also help our crews to pick up the bins. Folding the handle forward also keeps the lid locked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never leave the green bin out with the handle folded to the back. This means the lid is unlocked and spillages could easily occur.

 

 

 

What Types of Food You Can Recycle

Yes, please (both cooked AND uncooked):

• Beans, pasta and rice.
• Bread, cakes and pastries.
• Dairy products such as eggs and cheese.
• Fruit and vegetables.
• Meat and fish, including bones.
• Tea bags and coffee grounds.

No, thank you (please do NOT put these in your Food Waste Bin):

• Bottles, cans or jars.
• Foil or clingfilm.
• Food or drink containers.
• Liquids, including oils and fats.
• Packaging.
• Plastic bags.

 

 

Why Recycle Your Food Waste?

• It makes more space in your refuse bin.
• It prevents food waste going to landfill, where it gives off carbon dioxide and methane, contributing to climate change.
• It will help to test the feasibility of providing a similar collection across Aberdeenshire.
• Your food waste stops being waste and becomes useful. It is composted locally in an enclosed container and used as an agricultural fertiliser. This compost has to meet rigorous standards and is safe for use on the land.
  

 

 

Should I Use This Scheme or Home Composting?

You can do both. Home composting is even better for the environment than using a recycling scheme like this, because it deals with the waste without involving any further transport or energy use. However, there are some foodstuffs that are unsuitable for composting. This scheme accepts both cooked and uncooked food of all types.

Please continue to compost uncooked fruit, vegetables, tea bags, coffee grounds, eggshells etc. while using this scheme to recycle any other food.

For information on discounted home composting containers, please visit the Waste Aware Scotland website.