Hotbin trial to tackle food waste underway in Chichester
They're being given to homes around the city
A new trial featuring hotbins has been launched in Chichester, to help cut down on the amount of food waste entering general waste collections.
15 of the bins have been given to homes across the district as part of the trial.
A hotbin composts waste at much higher temperatures than a regular one, meaning it can provide results in up to 90 days - 32 times faster than traditional compost bins.
Chichester District Council are behind the initiative, which has been timed to co-incide with the UK's first Food Waste Action Week.
The week, which is organised by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), is offering tips on how to reduce food waste on every day until Sunday (May 7th).
Those include:
Writing a shopping list so that you only buy what you need
Making sure your fridge is set below 5°C
Using up all edible parts of your food, such as broccoli stems and potato peel, which can be added to soups
Freezing your leftovers for another day
Getting familiar with food labels, including used by and best before dates.
Councillor Penny Plant, Cabinet Member for Environment and Contract Services at Chichester District Council said:
"We know that people in our district care deeply about our planet and the threat of climate change, and so you might be shocked to know that if food waste were a country, it would have the third-biggest carbon footprint after the USA and China.
"Around 70% of food waste in the UK comes from within our homes, so this highlights the role that we can all play in helping to combat this problem.
"I urge you this Food Waste Action Week to think carefully about what you can do at home to minimise your food waste. Make sure to follow us on our social media channels where we'll be sharing more information about the campaign, including practical tips you can use to reduce your own food waste.
"Working with the West Sussex Waste Partnership, our strategy is to try and prevent food from being wasted in the first place. Waste prevention is the preferred solution as it is more economical and sustainable.
"Alongside encouraging waste prevention, we are always exploring new ways in which we can help residents reduce their waste. We are continuing to investigate the feasibility of separate food waste collections for households and a trial will shortly be running in the Arun District.
"We will be working closely with Arun District Council to monitor the results, and will share the results of the trial as soon as we can."