New data suggests that more than half of all food waste that could be recycled in Surrey is ending up in waste bins every year.
If those 50,594 tonnes were recycled instead, it would save Surrey councils £4 million that could be spent on essential services, according to the Surrey Environment Partnership (SEP).
“In order to save as much money as possible for essential services and to help protect the environment, we should be recycling as much food waste as we can,” said Councillor Neil Dallen, Chairman of the Surrey Environment Partnership (SEP).
“I’d encourage anyone who doesn’t recycle food waste to start now and for those who do, make sure that you’re putting as much as you can in your caddy.”
In order to save as much money as possible for essential services and to help protect the environment, we should be recycling as much food waste as we can
SEP’s latest campaign encourages residents to reduce and recycle their food waste to help the environment.
Food waste collected by local crews is taken to an anaerobic digestion facility where it is broken down to produce biogas, which is collected and used to generate electricity.
Residents can also reduce the amount of food they waste in the first place by using an app to help plan shopping and meals, freezing food that is nearing its use by date and by trying out new recipes to use up any leftovers.
The Surrey Environment Partnership is made up of Surrey County Council and the 11 district and borough councils in the county. It aims to manage Surrey’s waste in the most efficient, effective, economical and sustainable manner.
The 11 district and borough councils are waste collection authorities (WCAs) and are responsible for the collection of Surrey’s municipal waste which includes waste from households.
Residents can find more information about food waste recycling and tips on how to reduce the amount of food they waste on the SEP website.
