Date: 12/03/2010
High Peak residents will be able to put food waste in their green-lidded wheelie bin from Monday 12 April.
The development is a major improvement to the Borough Council's kerbside collection scheme and underlines its commitment to increasing the amount of household waste recycled.
A detailed information booklet will be delivered to every household between Monday 22 March and Friday 9 April to spell out what people need to do and to promote a series of road shows at which a limited supply of kitchen caddies will be given away.
Along with garden waste and cardboard, the food waste will be taken to a new, state-of-the-art composting facility managed by Derbyshire County Council at the Waterswallows recycling site, near Buxton.
Said John Haken, Executive Councillor for the Environment: "Many residents have been asking us when they'll be able to recycle food waste. That time is now here.
"Your actions will help cut down the amount of food waste that ends up in landfill sites. As the cost of burying food in the ground continues to climb, you'll be helping us to save your money.
"And it couldn't be easier. All you need to do is put your peelings and other food scraps in your green-lidded wheelie bin, then just put it out for collection as normal", he explained.
The amount of waste recycled in High Peak rose from 10.7 per cent in 2004/05 to more than 40 per cent last summer. Now, the addition of food waste to the kerbside recycling service will help take the borough way beyond the 40 per cent target set by the Government for 2012.
For more information on this big improvement to the kerbside recycling scheme, visit www.highpeak.gov.uk/environment/foodwaste.asp.