Weekly food waste collection scheme launches in Rushmoor
It is part of the Borough Council's pledge to be greener
Last updated 25th Oct 2021
Homes across Aldershot and Farnborough will be getting weekly food waste collections from today.
The new service is part of Rushmoor Borough Council’s pledge to be greener - by making it easier for residents to recycle more.
To start off with, the scheme is for properties with their own rubbish and recycling bins - those with shared bins will be able to take part from next Spring.
At the same time, the Council is also moving to fortnightly collections of green rubbish bins.
Households will receive a silver five litre kitchen caddy, a black (and lockable) 23 litre caddy to keep outside, a roll of caddy liners, plus a collection calendar with details on how to get the most out of the new service.
Residents will be able to use the weekly food waste service to recycle all types of food waste including food scrapings and peelings, raw and cooked meat and fish, cheese, eggs, rice and pasta, bread, tea bags and coffee grounds, fruit, veg and pet food.
With the first food waste collections starting from Monday 25 October, the council is advising residents to start using their caddies about a week before their first collection.
For anyone who has one of the council’s smaller (140 litre) green rubbish bins and finds that it is too small once fortnightly collections begin, they can ask the council to swap it for the bigger 240 litre size bin for free and this can be requested through the council’s website by going to www.rushmoor.gov.uk/binchanges.
Councillor Maurice Sheehan Cabinet Member for Operational Services at Rushmoor Borough Council said: “It’s fantastic to see the new service taking shape and the first residents receiving their food waste caddies.”
“This is the biggest change to our service in the last 20 years and we have a team of advisors on hand and ready to help our residents through the changes and to get the most out of the new service.
"All council's will have to introduce weekly food waste collections from 2023 and as wasted food is one of the biggest causes of climate change, I’m delighted that we have been able to make this change sooner.
"By introducing weekly food waste collections, we can make a real difference and it’s easy to do.
"Instead of being incinerated with other non-recycling rubbish, our food waste will now be broken down naturally to generate renewable energy which is much kinder to the environment.”
In their new kitchen caddies, residents can also look out for one of five ‘golden tickets’ with prizes to be won.
Prizes up for grabs including tickets to the Princes Hall pantomime, shopping vouchers, a selection of sustainable homeware products and a year’s free subscription to the council’s garden waste recycling service.
Further information about the food waste recycling scheme is available on the council’s website by going to rushmoor.gov.uk/foodwaste