60% of councils show appetite for food waste

Nearly two-thirds of local authorities in England and Wales now collect food waste, or are planning to, but service provision remains patchy with strong regional variation.


According to a survey by Cromwell Polythene, Welsh councils remain the most prolific food waste recyclers with all of them having a collection scheme in place. The study found that where one authority collected food waste, neighbouring councils were likely to follow suit.

English authorities meanwhile have the lowest incidence of food waste recycling, mainly due to the emergence of new waste-to-energy and mechanical biological treatement (MBT) plants.

The highest concentrations of food waste collection schemes tend to be in places where there is already an existing anaerobic digestion or in-vessel composting treatment facility.

Areas with strong service provision include Greater Manchester and Devon, but schemes are sparser in the Midlands and the Northeast.

Maxine Perella

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