Switch to using brown bins for both food and garden waste in Derry & Strabane

The Council’s Environment and Regeneration Committee were this week given an update on the current arrangements in Strabane where 8.500 households receive combined fortnightly green and food waste collection using a 240 litre wheeled bin in a trial basis.

At present, 33,000 households have both separate food and green waste collections in Derry and surrounding areas.

The Head of Environment with the Council said that while Food Waste Regulations favour separate food waste collections, provision exists for combined food and green waste collections, if the volume of food waste would be at least equal to the volume collected separately.

He said that the contractor treating these waste streams – i.e. separately collected food waste, separately collected green waste and combined collections - has advised that the first action they take within their treatment process is to co-mingle all of the wastes. This combined food and garden is turned into compost which is then used in local gardens and parks.

Conor Canning said taking forward the comingling of food and green waste will allow Council to reduce the number of vehicles undertaking collections. He said crews will be re-deployed within refuse collection and that this initiative will also reduce the number of containers that householders use to deal with their waste, as well as reduce some of the issues reported with regard to handling and storing of food waste caddies, making it easier and more practical for people to recycle organic waste.

Mr Canning said the change would only be introduced where practical and properties without gardens will continue to receive a weekly food waste collection using existing methods. He added that where Council is providing weekly food waste collections to businesses, these too will continue.