Residents across Test Valley have been making the most of the borough's weekly food waste collection service and are helping turn everyday food scraps into a valuable resource.

Since its launch last October, Test Valley Borough Council's food waste collection service has made it simpler than ever for residents to recycle their food waste at home. The scheme has quickly become a highly successful addition to the borough's recycling services. And now, 57% of residents are participating.

Every week, food waste collected from homes across the borough is sent to a specialist anaerobic digestion facility, where it is transformed into methane (a renewable energy source) and nutrient-rich fertiliser. Eight separate collection rounds, using dedicated vehicles running on HVO, a vegetable derived diesel fuel, collect your food caddy every week.

Most households have a small kitchen caddy for use indoors and a larger kerbside caddy for weekly collections. Residents living in flats or properties with communal waste facilities use a larger, shared food waste bin.

A wide variety of food waste can be recycled, including leftovers, fruit and vegetable peelings, bread, dairy products, tea bags, coffee grounds, meat, fish and even bones and pet food. On average 345 tonnes of food waste are collected every month.

Every banana skin, tea bag and plate scraping recycled through the service helps reduce waste and supports a cleaner, greener Test Valley. By making food waste recycling part of your weekly routine, you can make a real difference. Since last October, there has been a 2000 tonne reduction of waste going into black bins – this has been a godsend over the hot summer months, keeping smells to a minimum.

Top Tips for Successful Food Waste Recycling

• Keep your kitchen caddy somewhere convenient, such as under the sink or on a worktop.
• Use compostable liners, plastic bags, newspaper, kitchen roll or paper towels to help keep your caddy clean and fresh.
• Empty your kitchen caddy regularly into your kerbside food waste caddy.
• Present your kerbside caddy by 7am on your collection day, with the lid closed and the handle upright.
• Remember that packaging, liquids, cooking oils, pet bedding and garden waste cannot be placed in food waste caddies.

For more information check out: www.testvalley.gov.uk/foodwaste