People in Petersfield have had two new grey bins delivered for food waste. There’s a small caddy for the kitchen worktop and a larger outdoor caddy. It’s part of an important initiative to transform how we handle food waste across the city.
The new setup includes a handy roll of compostable liners to get us started, making it straightforward to separate food scraps from our general rubbish right from the kitchen counter.
What makes this system worth setting up is that unlike a garden compost heap, the council’s central composting process can accept almost all food waste. That includes meat, bones, citrus peels, and plate scrapings, the sort of things you would normally keep out of home compost bins. Everything collected will be processed at an anaerobic digestion plant, turning our left-overs into energy and useful nutrient-rich soil improver rather than sending it to landfill.
Our local weekly collections for these caddies are scheduled to start after 14th December. You will be able to put your outdoor caddy out every week alongside either your black or blue bin. As winter approaches, collections for green garden waste bins will slow down as garden activity reduces, but the weekly food waste collection will continue year-round.
While managing an extra bin requires a small adjustment in our routine, it is a hugely effective step towards reducing our carbon footprint and improving recycling across Cambridge.
Further information on how to get the most out of the scheme is available on the Greater Cambridge Shared Waste website.
A leaflet was sent in the post – this is what it said (for when you lose yours!)