Weekly food waste collection proposal for householders

The proposal was outlined in a discussion document “Future Recycling and Separate Collection of Waste of a Household Nature in Northern Ireland” published by DAERA for consideration by local authorities.

Councils may be required to provide all domestic properties with access to “at least a weekly collection service for food waste” by 2023.

It has also been proposed that local authorities should be required to reduce black bin waste.

Councils would also be required to collect a “core set of dry recyclable material” at kerbside.

This would be glass bottles and containers, paper and card, plastic bottles, plastic pots tubs and trays and steel and aluminium tins and cans.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has already taken steps to facilitate reduced waste with the provision of smaller 180 litre black bins alongside a wheelie box service which was introduced in Newtownabbey in 2016.

There are plans to introduce a similar service in Antrim later this year.

Commenting on the DAERA proposls, a report to the council’s Operations Committee said: “In Antrim and Newtownabbey, a separate food waste collection could be carried out as part of the wheelie box service.

“There is a greater focus on the quality of recyclate collected with a number of the measures seemingly encouraging wheelie box type collections.

“DAERA would like an agreed set of materials that would be collected from all households in Northern Ireland like the existing glass, paper/card, plastic bottles/tubs, and cans collected in the majority of the borough along with the possible inclusion of food and drinks cartons and plastic bags/film.”

Antrim and Newtownabbey and Mid and East Antrim Borough Councils are currently seeking funding from DAERA to roll out a triple stack wheelie bin system.

Antrim and Newtownabbey is continuing to liaise with the Department on the application.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is seeking £4.2m funding in a bid to introduce a uniform waste collection system and reduce landfill costs.

Concern has been expressed over the capacity of the triple stack system which is expected to replace blue bins in Larne and kerbside boxes in Carrickfergus and Ballymena.

Householders will also be supplied with a smaller black bin although existing brown bins for food and garden waste will still be used.

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter