Commercial Food Waste Collections
Why are we making changes?
Currently food waste from many commercial premises goes into a general bin where it is then disposed of into landfill. As food decomposes it produces methane, this adds to the greenhouse gases in our environment which cause global warming.
Your business can help the local environment and support local jobs at the Biodigester by separating food waste into separate containers provided by the Council.
All collected commercial food waste is taken to the South Shropshire Anaerobic Digestion Plant to produce biofertilizer and generate heat and renewable electricity.
The temperature is carefully controlled to ensure that the finished product is completely sterile before being used for local agriculture, horticulture or for site restoration.
What happens next?
Commercial Food Waste Collections will commence in Ludlow in March 2008 and all participating businesses will be notified of their collection days.
The collections will be made every week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and businesses can have a collection on any or all of these days
Each business will be supplied with a Blue Food Bin and Compostable Sacks along with information on what can go into the bins.
The Blue Food Bins range in size from 25 litres to 660 litres and are supplied to meet the requirements of each business in conjunction with the space available in the bin area.
The Compostable Sacks provided have the wording 'NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION' and 'CATEGORY 3 MATERIAL' printed on them. This is essential for any food that has been, or may have been, in contact with food waste of animal origin.
How does it work
You can use the compostable sack in the same way as a liner for your kitchen bin.
Some people prefer to use two bins in the kitchen, one in the preparation area and one for table scraps, however in a busy kitchen use a system that works best for you.
One problem that may arise is overfilling your compostable sack. Food waste generally has a high water content and this contributes to its weight. No matter how strong a sack may be it will only hold its integrity to a certain weight before stretching and breaking.
Manual Handling guidelines state that the maximum lifting weight is 25kgs. This would mean that in order to move your used compostable sack it should not be more than half full as firstly you could injure your self if the sack is too heavy but also the compostable sack itself would not support the weight and would probably break open.
Once your sack is ready to go into your external bin, just tie the bag and place it into your blue bin ensuring that the lid is firmly closed.
All food waste is acceptable for collection including:
- fruit and vegetables
- freezer contents
- uncooked meat and fish
- bones & carcasses
- cooked meat and fish
- bread & pastries
- solid fats
- dairy products
- tea & coffee grounds
Some wheelie bins will be fitted with gravity locks. Businesses that may be subject to passers by contaminating their bin will receive a lockable bin.
On your day of collection you are requested to put your bin out or have your bin area accessible from 9am
The information leaflet issued to all participating businesses should answer all of your queries. A copy of the information leaflet can also be downloaded from this page.
If you require further assistance with any aspect of food collections please contact 01584 813393.
See these pages for related information:
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| Document Name | Commercial Food Waste Collections |
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