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Somerset Waste Partnership Findings and Report on Food Waste Collections
Last week, WRAP published findings of food waste trial collections conducted by 19 local authorities and serving over 94,000 households*. Somerset Waste Partnership has provided food waste collections since October 2004 and now serves over 165,000 households in 4 districts.
David Mansell, Strategy and Communications Team Leader of Somerset Waste Partnership, said, “The WRAP trials have increased knowledge on food waste collections, especially for multiple-occupancy housing and the performance that can be achieved over a range of local authorities, including those with weekly and fortnightly refuse collections. However, there are two aspects, not fully covered by the trials, involving food waste caddy liners and collection vehicles, which have been important features of our successful collections in Somerset.
“When Somerset Waste Partnership first introduced food waste collections four years ago, it was decided we could not afford to provide an on-going supply of caddy liners, so instead we promoted using newspaper to wrap food waste or line kitchen caddies and also made arrangements for liners to be sold in local shops. Both options have worked well and retail liner sales have developed into a thriving local market, which we estimate could be worth over £450,000 a year in Somerset, with supermarkets and some local retailers now sourcing their own supplies.
“This has saved us the cost of providing liners to householders and does not appear to have affected the performance of our food waste collections. Our food waste yields average 1.71 kg/hh/wk throughout the Somerset districts served, which rises to 1.93 kg/hh/wk for households served in Taunton Deane. Only two of the WRAP trials achieved more than this and overall they averaged 1.7 kg/hh/wk in areas taking place alongside fortnightly refuse collections and 1.4 kg/hh/wk for trials with weekly refuse collections.
“The other feature of the Somerset collections which varies from the WRAP trials is the use of combined collection vehicles for greater operational efficiency, especially on collections in rural areas. The WRAP pilots used separate dedicated collection vehicles for food waste. In Somerset, our contractor, May Gurney, uses stillage vehicles which combine recycling and food waste collections. We are also undertaking trials currently with a 3-way split compaction vehicle that has a pod for food waste behind the cab. We are using the split compaction chambers at the rear for plastic bottles and cardboard, but this style of vehicle offers many options, including combined collections of food waste and refuse, as practiced on the Isle of Wight for many years.”
A 19-page PDF information pack on Somerset’s food waste collections is available from the Somerset Waste Partnership by emailing: enquiries@somersetwaste.gov.uk
* WRAP Press Release, 17 September 2008 - Public supports separate food waste collections, new report reveals
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
About the Somerset Waste Partnership:
The Somerset Waste Partnership manages waste and recycling services on behalf of Mendip, South Somerset, Sedgemoor and West Somerset District Councils, Taunton Deane Borough Council and Somerset County Council.
Photos attached:
Somerset Waste Partnership stillage collection vehicle for food waste and recycling and 3-way split collection vehicle with food waste pod.
Media Contact::
For enquires about this release, please contact:
David Mansell, Strategy and Communications Team Leader
01823 625713 or david.mansell@somersetwaste.gov.uk
For enquires about the Somerset Waste Partnership, please contact:
Mark Blaker, Senior Communications Officer
01823 625714 or mark.blaker@somersetwaste.gov.uk
23 September 2008
For further details contact David Mansell
01823 625713
Email: david.mansell@somersetwaste.gov.uk
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