More than 100,000 households will be able to recycle food waste each week when a new collection service begins across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole this year.
From 6 April this year, homes in Poole and flats in Bournemouth that do not currently receive food waste collections will be included, bringing the same weekly service to all households across the conurbation and creating a single, consistent approach for residents wherever they live.
Ahead of the launch, households in Poole and flats in Bournemouth will receive new containers between January and March this year, with individual homes given a kitchen caddy and an outdoor bin, while flats will be provided with kitchen caddies and shared external food waste bins.
Collections will take place every week on the same day as rubbish and recycling, using a separate lorry, with the council saying this should make it easier for people to build food waste recycling into their normal routine.
Once collected, food waste will be taken to a specialist recycling facility in Dorset, where it is processed to produce renewable gas used to generate electricity for the national grid, along with a soil improver that supports local farming.
Councillor Andy Hadley, Cabinet Member for Sustainability and Environment, said having one clear system would remove confusion and help more people recycle, adding that reducing food waste also cuts the amount of rubbish sent for disposal and lowers environmental impacts.
The council says around 30 percent of household rubbish bins currently contain food waste, and separating it out can reduce emissions and help free up spending for other local services.
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