Trial food waste collection service

1,000 tonnes of food waste recycled so far! Thank you for recycling your food waste.

Coleraine Borough Council has introduced a trial food waste collection service to parts of the Borough.

Thisproject is supported by Rethink Waste.

Since April2013, 15,000 households within Coleraine, Portrush and Portstewart have beenincluded in a pilot food waste collection service. Over 900 tonnes of food have been recycled so far. That's the same weight as 70 double decker buses! A big thank you, to everyone who is recycling their food waste.

Houses included in the trial food waste collection service received a food waste starter kit which included:

  • A7 litre,lockable,kitchen caddy
  • A roll of compostable caddy liners
  • A bright yellow "more liners please" tag to place on your outside food bin when you need a new roll of liners
  • Atwenty threelitre, lockable, outside foodwaste bin
  • A leaflet telling you about the food collection service(6.5MB)

If you are missing any of the above and need replacements, please phone us on 028 7034 3453.

The food waste collection service is weekly. Outside food bins are be emptied on the same day as your normal waste and recycling bin. Please leave your outside food bin beside your wheeled bin on your normal collection day by 8.00 am.

FAQ

Why has Coleraine Borough Council introduced a pilot food waste collection service?

We made changes to the way your food waste is collected so that you can recycle more and we can process it in a cheaper and more environmentally acceptable way. So far, we have recycled 900 tonnes of food waste. By recycling food waste you will reduce the amount of food waste in landfill sites. Rotting food in landfill produces methane gas which contributes to climate change and, as the cost of sending food waste to landfill is increasing, you will help Coleraine Borough Council and its residents save money too. We introduced this trial collection to find out the best way to collect food waste.

How do I use the kitchen and kerbside caddies?

To start with you should line the kitchen food caddy with a compostable liner (please use only those liners provided by Council). Then you can start to fill your kitchen caddy with all food waste. When the kitchen food caddy is full, tie the liner and put it into the outside food bin. This will be emptied weekly on the same day as your normal waste and recycling collection day. On your normal bin collection day, the outside food bin needs to be placed at the front edge of your property, beside your wheelie bin, by 8.00 am with the handle in the locked upright position.

Will the food waste bin attract animals?

Your outside collection bin has a lid that can be lockedand opened by altering the position of the attached black handle. We would recommend that the outside food bin is left with the handle upright in the locked position. This also helps with manual lifting. If you have a particular problems with animals in your area then you may want to put the handle fully forward, which also allows the bin to be in the locked position.

How often is the food waste collected?

Food waste will be collected weekly on your usual bin day. Please put your outside food waste bin beside your wheeled bin on your normal collection day by 8.00 am.

What can I put into my food waste bin?

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

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

Please DO NOT put any of these in your food bin:

  • Packaging of any sort
  • Plastic bags
  • Liquids
  • Animal faeces
  • Oil or liquid fat

What will Council give me to help me recycle my food waste?

Council will give you a kitchen caddy (sevenlitre, with a lockable lid), compostable liners (please use only the liners provided by Council. Other liners may not be accepted by the recycling company), an outside food bin (twenty threelitre bin with a lockable lid) and a bright yellow"more liners please" tag to put on your outside bin when you need a new roll of liners (a roll of liners should last 10 weeks).

Will the caddy smell with food waste inside it?

Not if you empty the kitchen food caddy regularly into the outside food bin. Your outside food bin will have a sealable and lockable lid which will stop smells getting out and pets/pests/vermin getting in.

Your caddy and bin can be washed by hand or cleaned in the dishwasher. Allow your caddy to dry before using a compostable liner. This will prevent the liner from degrading straight away.

How do I get more biodegradable liners for my kitchen caddy?

Place the bright yellow "more liners please" tag on your outside food bin when you set it out for collection. Our collection staff will leave you a new roll of starch liners. Please remember to remove the yellow tag as soon as you receive a new roll of liners. A roll of liners should last about ten weeks.

Do I have to use the liners?

No, you can line your caddy with newspapers or use nothing at all. If you want to use liners, please use only those liners provided by Council.

Why has my food waste bin not been emptied and a label placed on it?

We cannot collect food waste that contains materials that are not accepted at the compost facility (e.g. plastic bags). If you put in the wrong materials we will let you know by putting a label on the bin. Please read the labelandremove the items that should not be in the waste and we will collect the rest of the contents the following week. If you need further help, please phone the Recycling Helpline on 028 7034 7272.