Carrickfergus Borough Council - New Food Waste Collection Service

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New Food Waste Collection Service

Your New Food Waste Collection Service

We are making changes to the way your food waste is collected so that you can recycle more and we can process it in a more environmentally acceptable way. After 16th October 2009 you will be allowed to put all food waste into your brown bin with the garden waste.

Your actions will help cut down the amount of food waste that ends up in landfill sites. Rotting food in landfill generates methane - a greenhouse gas that is 21 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.

What Happens To Your Food Waste?

Once we have collected your food waste, it is taken to a dedicated processing plant where it is treated and pressure sterilised.

What Can I Put In My Brown Bin?

Once we have collected your food waste, it is taken to a dedicated processing plant where it is heat treated and pressure sterilised.

What Can I Put In My Brown Bin?

• Grass cuttings
• Hedge clippings
• Leaves
• Twigs
• Plant prunings
• House plants
• Food waste

What Will I Be Able To Recycle?

You will be able to recycle all your food waste including the following:

• Meat and fish - raw and cooked including bones
• All dairy products such as eggs and cheese
• Raw and cooked vegetables, as well as fruit
• Bread, cakes and pastries
• Rice, pasta and beans
• Uneaten food from your plates and dishes
• Tea and coffee grounds

All packaging must be removed from the food before placing it in the bin.

No plastic bags.

The Benefits Of Recycling Food Waste

Gives you the opportunity to recycle more of your waste	It reduces the amount of waste that has to be landfilled which helps to cut down the cost of waste disposal
It reduces the odour caused by rotting food waste by providing a special containment system and regular service	It reduces the amount of methane gas produced in landfill sites, which is a cause of global warming
It's easy and convenient as householders are provided with doorstep collection services	Your treated food waste will be used to create energy as a renewable bio-fuel

Food Waste Frequently Asked Questions

Q:	Why are we collecting food waste?	A:	Food waste creates methane when disposed of in landfill. Methane is a harmful gas which has been proven to be a major player in todays climate change problems. Taking future food waste away from landfill sites and taking it to plants which can turn it into either compost or bio fuel will ensure that it is treated in such a way that it becomes a useful product instead of a harmful one.
Q:	Can I put food that is past its use by date in the bin?	A:	Yes but it must first be removed from the packaging.
Q:	Can I put food waste straight into the brown bin?	A:	Yes. It will be placed with the garden waste and both are treated together. Food waste can we wrapped in newspaper before being placed in the brown bin.
Q:	Can I use normal plastic bags?	A:	You cannot use normal plastic or carrier bags as they are not biodegradable and will not decompose or render down. They cannot be processed at the treatment plant and will be treated as contamination if found in brown bins. Your bin will not be emptied if it contains plastic bags.

Remember - if in doubt leave it out!

If your brown bin contains other rubbish apart from that listed, it will not be collected. You will have to remove the unwanted rubbish and dispose of it properly into the correct bin. Only then will your bin be emptied.

For more information please contact Carrickfergus Borough Council, Environmental Services Cleansing Section on 028 9335 1992 or alternatively please email: wastemanagement@carrickfergus.org