If you have a waste caddy, remember you can reuse any bag as a liner.
Food waste collections are in place across most of Devon, and they are easier to use than ever.
And those households with a food waste caddy don’t need to buy special compostable bags, they can just reuse any plastic or paper bag they’ve already got, such as an empty bread bag, salad bag, cereal bag or frozen vegetable bag.
Food waste is still a big problem in Devon; despite most households having a separate food waste collection, a study found that nearly a third of black bin waste is food waste.
It also found that 79% of the food waste in Devon’s black bins could have been avoided, and 35% was still in its packaging.
You can line your indoor caddy with any of the following:
- bags that food has come in, e.g. bread bags, salad bags, cereal bags, large crisp bags etc
- old carrier bags (not ‘bags for life’ as these can be reused for shopping)
- thin plastic bags, e.g. fridge and freezer storage bags that are no longer fit for use
- plastic bags bought on a roll, e.g. pedal bin liners (although reusing an existing bag is best)
- compostable bags
- newspaper
All liners/bags are removed at the processing facility before the food waste is treated. They are then sent to an Energy from Waste facility where they are converted into energy. The food waste is processed to produce energy and a liquid fertiliser.
You can put any cooked or uncooked food waste into a caddy, such as:
- fish, meat and bones
- dairy produce
- hard fats and lard
- tea bags and coffee grounds
- fruit and vegetable peelings
- cereals
- bread and pastries
- rice and pasta
- stale and out of date foods (including ‘ready meals’, please remove packaging)
- uneaten pet food
- plate scrapings and lunchbox leftovers
- nut and egg shells
But ‘No thanks’; to:
- any packaging, pots, punnets or plastic film (except for lining the inside of your caddy)
- bio-degradable packaging
- bio-degradable/compostable cups
- bio-degradable/compostable coffee pods
- cardboard
- paper (except for newspaper which can line your caddy)
- liquids e.g. oils, fats, milk
- dead animals
- garden waste
- animal bedding/litter
- animal/pet faeces
The average UK family could save around £1000 a year by making a few tweaks to help food go further. Recycle Devon will be sharing tips and tricks on how to make the most of your food and save money on Facebook, X, Instagram and Nextdoor.
Councillor Ruth Williams (ECC) acting Chair of the Devon Authorities Strategic Waste Committee, said:
“Globally, 25-30% of total food produced is lost or wasted, equating to approximately 1.3 billion tonnes per year. It’s important that we reduce the amount of food we waste first and foremost, and this is something all households can achieve by making a few simple changes. Any unavoidable food waste, such as peelings, meat and fish bones etc can be recycled using the food waste collection, which is available to most households in Devon. Lining your caddy with any bag keeps everything clean, and the food waste is collected weekly.”
Devon’s eight local authorities provide food waste collection services to most households. If you don’t have a food waste caddy and your neighbours do, you can contact your local authority to find out about obtaining one.
For more information on reducing, reusing and recycling, visit recycledevon.org.