New food waste recycling scheme begins in Ballymena

In September, homes will be delivered handy kitchen caddies and biodegradable liners to put waste food into.

Items which can be put into the kitchen caddy include raw and cooked meat and fish including bones, vegetables and fruit , all dairy products, bread, cakes and pastries, pasta, cereal, rice and beans, uneaten food from your plates and tea and coffee grounds.

When full, the liner can be lifted out and placed in the brown bin. As soon as you get your kitchen caddy you can commence putting food waste into your existing brown bin will be then be collected fortnightly as usual.

Around 20 per cent of all household waste is food waste which decomposes in a landfill site to produce a dangerous greenhouse gas called methane.

Ballymena Borough Council has expanded this new scheme to collect food waste and turn it into useful compost instead. This means that the new service will help residents to recycle more and divert more waste from landfill, helping the council to meet their targets and avoid huge fines from Europe.

Cllr. Hubert Nicholl, Mayor of Ballymena, said: “The important thing for householders to remember is that only the biodegradable bags, supplied by the council, may be used in the brown bins as these will disintegrate when the waste is composted and not cause any damage to the environment.

“The council will be supplying the bags so when they run out request more from the collection crew by fitting the red tag to the handle of the brown bin.

“Don’t forget the brown bin can still be used to recycle garden waste such as grass cuttings, weeds, flowers, leaves, small woody waste, prunings and cold ashes so this will be a great extension to the existing service.”

If you have any queries regarding your new brown bin or food waste collection scheme, please email [email protected] call 028 2566 0466/0465 or alternatively visit the website for more information at www.ballymena.gov.uk