Wheelie bins to be checked for food waste from now on

The move comes as Derry City and Strabane District Council steps up its efforts to reduce the amount of food waste currently going to landfill.

An additional 20,000 food caddies have been distributed to homes across the city and district over the past month, and cleansing crews will now begin monitoring the scheme.

Those homes provided with food waste caddies are asked to no longer dispose of any food waste in their black/grey bins, but to now use the caddies provided.

Conor Canning, Council’s Head of Environment said: “Considering the fact that it costs £45 per tonne to recycle food waste, and £76 per tonne to recycle compared to £105 per tonne for waste go to landfill, substantial savings can be made from managing waste properly that then be reinvested in Council service.”

He added that inappropriate items were still being put into blue bins by some people. “I would appeal to people not to dump food and other items such as nappies into the blue bins.”

Food waste will be collected on the same collection days as regular bins.

Cleansing teams from now on will be regularly checking local people’s bins and issuing a series of warning stickers to householders to remove food waste from grey-black bins found to be contaminated, before they are rejected.

Encouraging members of the public to embrace the scheme, Chairman of the Environment and Regeneration Committee, Cllr Colly Kelly, said: “If you have a food caddy bin, please make sure to use it and have it out for collection in a visible location by 7.30am on your collection day. Among the items you can dispose of in your food caddy bin are cooked and raw meat; fish; fruit and vegetables; all dairy products including cheese and yoghurt; eggs, bread, cakes and pastries; rice, pasta and beans; uneaten food from your plates or dishes; tea bags and coffee grounds.

“You are reminded not to put any packaging, plastic bags, liquids, oil or liquid fat in your caddy,” he said.

To find out more about the new scheme and what materials are suitable for disposal in our bins you find information online at www.derrystrabane.com/foodwaste.

You can order the food caddies on the site or if you have already been issued a food caddy, but lost or misplaced it, you can email [email protected]