Food waste collections being considered for Poole

BCP Council will discuss the idea next week

Author: Faye TryhornPublished 16th May 2024

Food waste collections could be on their way for households in Poole and flats in Bournemouth.

BCP Council's Cabinet is due to discuss the idea, which would be brought in by 31st March 2026 if it's approved.

They're also looking to bring in commercial waste services for businesses, including schools and hospitals, to recycle and collect food waste by 31st March 2025.

A central government grant of £1.537m has been awarded to invest in new collection vehicles and containers for food waste collection and to support the roll out of the new service.

Councillor Andy Hadley, Portfolio Holder for Climate Response, Environment and Energy, said:

“Residents in Poole have been asking for food waste bins for some time now, so it’s great that they will benefit from the introduction of food waste collections in early 2026.

“Once implemented, these changes will enable the same service for all our residents, another significant step we’re taking towards a more sustainable future for our community.

“By introducing a BCP-wide commercial food waste collection service and expanding our recycling initiatives to include plastic film to the same timescale, we are actively reducing our environmental impact and promoting responsible waste management.

“All these measures not only benefit our environment but also contribute to building a cleaner and healthier community for generations to come.”

It's believed the food waste collections would boost BCP Council’s recycling rate by 6% and save the authority around £200,000.

Nationally, 60% of food waste comes from people’s homes and 18 million tonnes of CO2 are generated by UK households from wasted consumable food and drink.

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