Food waste recycling service to be extended

Following a successful trial last year at six developments across the borough, which involved 162 households and the collection of 10,000kg of food waste, the council will install special pedal-operated food waste recycling units in communal bin areas at all council-owned blocks of flats.  

The rollout will see 600 new units installed across two years, helping thousands of council tenants to better protect the environment.   

Residents living at the developments will be automatically signed up to the new service and the council will contact households by letter to let people know when food waste collections are coming. A leaflet will also be shared explaining how to use the service.  

Once the food waste unit is delivered to a block of flats, the council's recycling officers will deliver a food-waste recycling kit to each household, containing an indoor kitchen caddy and a roll of caddy liners.    

The council is also working with developers and managing agents on private developments to advise them about our food waste recycling service and encourage them to adopt it across their schemes.    

Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council's Cabinet Member for Residents' Services, said: "We're delighted that more homes across the borough will be able to access this vital recycling service as part of our commitment to becoming a greener, more sustainable and carbon neutral borough. 

"We encourage residents to find new ways to make sure they waste less food and save money, but where you do have food waste, recycling it is much better for the environment as it's turned into renewable energy and fertiliser. Whereas food waste included in your black household waste bags can have a huge impact on the environment by releasing methane - a greenhouse gas 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide - when it rots. 

"I encourage residents to participate in the scheme when bins are installed at their development, and if you live in a house and haven't yet signed up you can easily register via our website. Once you've signed up you will receive a kitchen caddy, a roll of caddy liners and a 23-litre lockable outdoor caddy to put your full bags into until collection day. 

For more information on food waste recycling, visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/food-waste