‘Recycle food to reduce costs’, urges Newtownabbey Council

Paul Kerr, the council’s waste and recycling assistant, explained: “Using your brown bin means you are doing your bit to divert waste from landfill.

“This not only reduces the level of greenhouse gases from entering the environment and increases recycling rates but also saves money for ratepayers of the borough as composting is a much cheaper option than landfill.

“Food and garden waste placed in the brown bin is transported to a local treatment facility where it is turned into compost. All types of food waste (fish, cheese, bread, pasta, fruit, vegetables, cooked and uncooked meat and bones), with the exception of liquids, can go into your brown bin.

“Households in the borough should have received a reusable red tag to request more food waste liners for the kitchen caddy. Simply remember to remove the red tag from the bin once liners have been delivered.

“The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) estimates the average family wastes around £60 a month on discarded food and drink.

“Recycling food waste can help to cut down the amount of food that ends up in landfill sites.

“Rotting food in landfill generates methane, which is a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The brown bin is a practical, cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution to prevent rotting food from filling up landfill sites. Next time you have a meal or snack, take a moment to think about where the scraps should go. “

Keep your kitchen caddy handy so using it becomes part of your daily routine. By using the kitchen caddy, households can also become more aware of wasted food, and this presents the opportunity to make real savings in the family budget.”

For any further information please telephone 028 9034 0056 or visit the Council’s website at http://www.newtownabbey.gov.uk/