Approximately 15,000 residents in Carmarthenshire are to receive liners for their food bins as part of a trial to increase food waste recycling.
If successful, it may be rolled out to households across the county.
The council wants to increase the number of people using their food waste bins and is trialling the liners to find out if it will encourage people to use them.
Five rounds have been chosen from each of the three depots at Trostre, Cillefwr and Glanaman to take part in the trial.
The liners are used in the small brown food bin which is kept in the kitchen. When it is full, tie the liner and put it in the large green bin ready for collection.
Executive Board Member for the Environment Cllr Hazel Evans said: “The best thing that can happen to food is for it to be eaten, but for anything you can’t eat, like peelings, bones, plate scrapings, teabags and eggshells the best thing to do is compost them.
“When you place food waste in your black bag it is taken to landfill where it rots and releases greenhouse gases that harm the environment. By recycling our food waste instead it is turned into compost which can be used in our gardens.”
Recycling your food waste is easy, the bins help to contain the smell and they have lockable lids to stop animals getting in. Your food waste is also collected every week.
The liners help to keep the food bins clean and make it easier for the crews to collect.
Cllr Evans added: “Some local authorities supply liners for the food bins and some don’t. We have decided to carry out this trial first to find out if it makes a difference as it will cost a lot of money. If we find that more people are using the bins because of the liners then we will look at giving them out as part of the scheme as this will help us to achieve the statutory recycling targets.”
We are currently recycling approximately 60% of our rubbish here in Carmarthenshire, however Welsh local authorities have a 70% target to meet by 2025 or face large financial penalties.
For more information of what can go in your food bin please visit the council website.
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