Food waste collection trial launches in Nottingham

A year-long food waste collection trial has been launched for more than 3,000 homes in Nottingham.

Nottingham City Council is set to begin collecting waste from people's homes in the Berridge area on Friday.

Food waste placed in designated bins will be turned into electricity and fertiliser for farming at an anaerobic digestion facility in Colwick.

The trial will cover 3,426 homes, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The trial was launched in response to a change in UK government legislation, which will require councils to collect food waste from homes separately by April 2025.

The city council said about 37% of household rubbish currently placed in bins was food waste.

Councillor Sally Longford, the council's portfolio holder for the environment, said: "Things are changing, the legislation has changed, and we have to respond to that including, for example, we have to introduce food waste collection in the near future.

"We've got to do it gradually because there will be, particularly for some parts of the city, a really concerted effort needed in order to ensure people understand the new system."

Residents have been given two food waste containers, including a small indoor caddy to put in the kitchen, as well as a larger food waste bin to be placed outside for collection.

The food waste will be collected weekly using on the same day as household waste and recycling.

The authority is looking to change its strategy because of government targets to increase the amount of waste recycled in England to 65%, while keeping waste that ends up in landfill below 10%.

While Nottingham currently only sends around 8% of its collected waste to landfill, the city's recycling rate in October last year had fallen to 23.9%.

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