New Forest to introduce food waste collections next year
The District Council's also bringing in wheelie bins from Spring 2025
Households in the New Forest District Council area will have food waste collected from Spring 2025.
The District Council's set out a timeline for the service, saying it'll take until the Autumn of that year to get every part of the District included.
They'll then also expand the amount of recyclables that can be collected through the new wheelie bins, being introduced around the same time.
Cllr Geoffery Blunden, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, said:
“We are moving forwards with our plans to reduce household waste and improve recycling for the district.
“From Spring 2025, we are proposing to introduce new weekly food waste collections. And we will collect recycling one week, and general waste the next week, using wheeled bins.
“Food waste will be recycled using a process called anaerobic digestion, which creates electricity and fertiliser for farms. This will make a significant impact in reducing the amount of general waste that’s thrown away across the district and contribute to the UK government’s recycling rate target of 65% by 2035.
“Once a timeline for service change has been agreed, officers will begin further work to deliver the new service. This will include purchasing the necessary vehicles and containers, recruiting staff and a full communication and engagement plan.
“I am confident these plans will support us to modernise our service and be more sustainable. As with any change on this scale, we need to be flexible, and our priority will be to support our residents as we all work together to reduce waste and increase recycling.”
The government's providing funding to local authorities towards new food waste collection services, with New Forest expecting to receive £1.8 million for the 2024/25 financial year.
That'll go towards vehicles and containers needed for the new service.
Once the wheelie bins and food waste collections are in place, the District Council will then start to look at expanding the range of items that can be collected at the roadside - such as plastics, foil, and cartons.
There's also be a review into whether glass can be collected every two weeks as well.
That can only begin however, when Hampshire County Council provide new recycling sorting facilities in the county to process extra materials.
They're not expected to be ready until 2026 at the earliest.