Crawley Borough Council will begin weekly food waste collections this autumn, running around six months past the government's deadline. The council attributes the delay to a national shortage of food waste collection vehicles, a problem it says has affected many other local authorities. Households will receive a leaflet in August explaining how the service works, followed by a starter pack containing a lockable 23-litre outdoor bin with an orange lid, a five-litre indoor caddy, and a free roll of compostable liners.
Once collections begin, general rubbish will move from weekly to fortnightly using existing bins. Kerbside recycling and garden waste collections remain fortnightly and unchanged. Residents in flats or properties with communal bins will stay on current arrangements for now, with the council expecting to bring them into the food waste service at a later date.
Food collected will be sent to an anaerobic digestion plant, where it will be converted into renewable energy and fertiliser. The council reports that more than 44 per cent of the average Crawley rubbish bin currently contains food waste.
Source: Yahoo