Why recycle your food waste?
- The weekly food waste collection means no smelly food sitting in your green bin
- Keeps your kitchen bin cleaner
- By reducing your food waste you can save up to £680 per year for the average household
- The food waste bin is small and easy to keep clean
- It’s better for the environment (see FAQ’s below)
- Your food waste bin reduces the amount of waste going into your green bin leaving more room for other rubbish
- It's better value for money
- It's easy and there are many fun ways you can reduce the food waste in your household, like the Freezer Clear Down Challenge
Save money and reduce food waste - Try these 5 easy ways
1. Reduce food that we throw away by making a shopping list – check your fridge first or try online shopping (it avoids buying those unwanted items that tempt you as you shop)
2. Know your dates – Use by is the safety date – you should not eat food after this date and should be found on foods such as some dairy, meat and fish products. Best before is a quality date
3. Use up those leftovers - Go to love food hate waste for creative recipes or many supermarkets also have recipes on their websites
4. Cook the right amount – grab yourself a cup or beaker and measure out the foods that you eat most days such as rice, pasta and cereal – remember different pastas are larger than others! Make a mark of where the food reaches and then use it as a scoop.
Adult amounts
- Rice – 75g per person (eg 2 people would be a scoop for 150g)
- Pasta – 100g per person
- Cereal – 30g per person
- Peas/cucumber/cherry tomatoes/peppers - 80g
5. Store your food to keeps it at its best for longer.
Freezing is your best friend – Remember to label your food with what it is inside, date and portion size. You can learn more by watching the Freezer Clear Down Challenge videos
Freezer Clear Down Challenge
Watch the videos by Kate Hall on how to start and top tips
Kate Hall
The Full Freezer
Bexley Eco Festival Food Waste Presentation
Listen to a one off session with Kate Hall at the Bexley Ecofestival. Learn how to freeze food or ‘press pause’, making it easier and quicker to cook healthy meals at home
Other ways that can help
Kitche App
This is a food waste prevention app.
You input your food shop by scanning the receipt and the app sends you reminders to use the food you have bought. There are also thousands of recipes and hacks to give inspiration.
Download the free Kitche app available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
Olio App
This app connects neighbours, volunteers and local businesses so that surplus food can be given away for free instead of thrown away. Collection is free.
Download the Olio app available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
Too Good To Go App
This app helps reduce food waste from retailers. Too Good To Go offers bundles for residents to buy at a greatly reduced price, as the food is close to its use-by date.
Download the free Too Good To Go app available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
FAQs
Can I wrap my food in paper?
Wrapping your food in paper is a good way to keep your bin clean to save you time. Newspaper and other non-waxy paper is quick to biodegrade so is suitable to use.
Can I use starch bags?
Yes, the recycling facility will accept starch bags
How do I stop my bin from smelling?
If you empty your bin regularly this should help to prevent any unwanted smells. When the weather gets warmer you may want to empty it more frequently
What do I do if I get maggots?
Remove the food material and tip it into a starch bag into your food box. Clean out your caddy or food waste box with hot soapy water if possible. Try to empty your bin more frequently in warmer months
I live in a flat and do not have food recycling facilities
We are currently installing food recycling at flats in the borough. If your flat has not got food waste recycling yet please contact us at wasteteam@bexley.gov.uk
What happens to my food waste and where does it go?
Your food waste goes to Biogen in Hertfordshire. Here your food is converted into biogas through a process called anaerobic digestion. This process uses organic matter such as animal or food waste and breaks it down to produce biogas and biofertiliser in the absence of oxygen in a sealed, oxygen-free tank. The nutrient rich biofertiliser is pasteurised to kill any pathogens and then stored in large covered tanks ready to be applied twice a year on farmland in place of fossil fuel derived fertilisers.
Learn more on the Biogen website
Why is it better for the environment?
During the recycling process bacteria break the food down into a biofertilizer and methane gas which is then used to generate electricity.
Every tonne of food waste recycled by anaerobic digestion as an alternative to landfill prevents between 0.5 and 1.0 tonne of CO2 entering the atmosphere, one of the many benefits of anaerobic digestion.
The foxes keep opening my bin and making a mess
Try to make your box less accessible, put something heavy on top of the lid.
Why is it better value for money for the council?
Recycling food waste (which is a very heavy material) saves on disposal costs (the cost of incinerating waste from the green general waste bin).