Food waste recycling trial underway in parts of Morpeth, Bedlington and Pegswood

The pilot scheme involves collecting weekly food waste from households in four areas across the county, including parts of Morpeth, Bedlington and Pegswood, and some nearby villages.

The locations were decided on as they offer a cross section of different households and property types, and are also close to the collection operations base in Morpeth.

Each household has been given a small caddy for their kitchen, a roll of bin liners and an outside food recycling bin with a lockable lid.

Any uneaten food, including plate scrapings and out-of-date food, is then collected and processed to generate energy and make fertiliser.

The trial will help the council assess the financial, environmental and operational impacts of providing a recycling collection service for food waste, to assess if it can extend the service across the county.

Research done prior to launching the trial showed that an average household’s waste is made up of one-third food waste that could be recycled. Additionally, wasting food costs the average family around £60 a month.

The first collections have now taken place and have got off to a good start, with staff reporting more than 4,500 kg of food waste being collected in the first week.

Councillor John Riddle, cabinet member for local services, said: “We’re pleased to have got going with this latest recycling trial and want to thank all those people who are taking part and have put their food waste out.

"Initial feedback has been positive and the more data and feedback we can gather will help us refine the trial in the future.”

Once collected, food waste is recycled at an anaerobic digestion plant. The contents are processed to generate renewable energy and make a natural fertiliser for growing crops, helping Northumberland reach its target of being carbon neutral by 2030.

Collection, transport, and processing emissions will also be assessed throughout the trial, which is taking place ahead of food waste collections becoming mandatory in 2024-25 under the Government's landmark environment bill.

If your household has not been selected but you are still looking to reduce food waste, visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com.