Food waste bins coming to flats in Wokingham by Christmas

Recycling bosses are getting ready to send letters to new households about the service, which was rolled out to houses in April.

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Collection will start soon after the bins are delivered to flats with council houses being the first to receive the boxes.

Indoor caddies and outdoor 240-litre bins will be available for the homes.

The scheme has seen an estimated 50 per cent of households participating since its launch.

It has helped Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) to achieve a 50 per cent recycling rate before its 2020 deadline.

According to figures from WBC bosses, 1.6 kilograms of food waste is left out on average per household per week.

This means 2048 tonnes was treated by August, from a monthly rate of 409 tonnes.

Chiefs want to collect 5,000 tonnes by the end of the first year of the scheme.

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Councillors heard about the latest plans for food waste collection at a meeting on Wednesday, October 16, and asked what bosses are doing to increase participation in the scheme.

One councillor said their neighbour refuses to use the food waste bins as they said it “doesn’t suit their lifestyle”.

Cllr Paul Fishwick said: “I think we really need to highlight (its impact on) climate change - if we get this message through to children you get it through to their parents too.”

The food waste collection scheme has helped WBC to reduce its use of landfill waste treatment, which can cause high proportions of greenhouse gases to be released.

WBC’s landfill use is on target for three per cent of all waste treated, from a figure of 60 per cent in 2006.

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Councillor Sarah Kerr added: “It is about getting people to realise the benefits”.