HOLLYWOOD star Dame Judi Dench has paid tribute to the new food waste truck named after her by Bracknell Forest residents.
The waste vehicle is one of five set to be deployed to collect the borough’s leftovers when the new food waste collection service begins on Monday, March 1.
Following a competition held by Bracknell Forest Council, the five vehicles were given punny nicknames including Dame Foodie Dench.
Dame Judi Dench addressed her new-found fame in a video for the council
In a video posted by the authority, the acting legend reacted to the selection of her name.
She said: “I’ve been called lots of names and I’ve played lots of people.
“But I’ve never been called Dame Foodie Dench!
“I’m very proud to be on the front of the food waste collection lorry.
“Thank you!”
Following the naming competition for our food waste trucks we reached out to a special someone. 👀
— Bracknell Forest (@BracknellForest) February 16, 2021
We were so excited to receive a reply from Dame Judi Dench herself, here is what she had to say…
Well done and thank you to The Barbers who came up with ‘Dame Foodie Dench’! 👏 pic.twitter.com/OJZMpvMh1I
READ MORE: The names chosen for Bracknell's food waste trucks
The other names chosen for the trucks are:
- The Food Dude
- Binderella (after fairytale princess Cinderella)
- Truck Norris (after American actor Chuck Norris)
- Hank Marvin (which is Cockney rhyming slang for ‘starving’)
Each vehicle will now have their name printed on the front for residents to see.
The video of Dame Judi Dench, who has starred in several of the modern James Bond films, was well-received by residents.
One commented: “She is the most amazing woman!”
READ MORE: The names shortlisted for Bracknell's food waste trucks which didn't make the cut
Another added: “How cool is that??!! Love her!”
And on Twitter, councillor Michael Gbadedo added: “Dame Judi Dench acknowledging Bracknell Forest's truck naming competition. Love it!”
Bin changes: the facts
What is changing and when will bin collections start?
Weekly food waste collections will be introduced for households only, meaning green non-recycling bins will be collected every three weeks instead of every fortnight to offset the cost of the new food waste bins.
The changes will begin on Monday, March 1.
Food waste bins
Blue recycling bins will still be collected every fortnight.
Some residents have started seeing caddies, caddy liners and an information package delivered to their doors, with the remaining deliveries expected until February 26.
Why are these changes being introduced?
By recycling food waste, Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) hopes to reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfill by 50 per cent — a move it says will contribute to its goal of tackling climate change.
In order to provide food waste collection, however, BFC is reducing how frequently it collects green non-recycling bins.
Food waste bins are coming to Bracknell Forest in October
In a January 2020 report published by the council, it was claimed: “reducing the refuse collection frequency will improve the performance of a food waste service as well as increasing the use of the current recycling services compared to if the refuse service remained the same as currently.”
According to BFC, recycling leftovers could mean almost 4,000 tonnes of food is directed away from landfill.
How much will the changes cost?
Introducing weekly food waste collections and emptying green bins every three weeks instead of every two weeks will save the council around £185,000 over the next seven years.
According to a January 2020 report, introducing weekly food waste collections and emptying green bins every two weeks would have cost the authority £2.29 million over the next seven years.
How do residents feel about the changes?
The move to introduce three-weekly non-recycling bin collections attracted opposition last year.
More than 3,000 people signed a petition against the switch and many residents continue to vent their frustration with the plan online.
Food waste smells from Olleco could become worse, community fears
However, it appears most residents are in favour of the new food waste collection service.
A statement on the petition page reads: “To make it clear, we are not against the food waste bins, but we are VERY much against the 3 weeks collection.”
Was there a vote and a consultation on the changes?
Bracknell Forest Council chiefs held a press conference in January 2020 to announce the introduction of food waste bins and the changes to the green-bin collection for households.
Here, representatives of local groups and the press had the opportunity to ask council bosses about the plans.
Later in January, the council’s executive — made up of the council’s top eight councillors — approved the changes.
In July, the executive approved a delay to the introduction of the changes following issues caused by the pandemic.
Households with black food waste bins will be able to accommodate all cooked and uncooked food, meat and fish bones, tea bags and coffee grounds, vegetable peelings, banana skins and apple cores, pet food, out of date food (without packaging), cooking oil in a sealed plastic bottle (this needs to be in the outdoor caddy on collection day).
Households with green non-recycling bins can carry broken toys, disposable nappies, polystyrene, black plastics, such as biscuit or chocolate box trays, plastic film, any other waste which can’t be recycled.
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