More and more of us are recycling food
Your food is at its best when it’s on your plate, ready to be enjoyed. It’s perfect in your fridge, ready to be used, or stored in the freezer for another time. Most of us still end up with some food waste however, including the things you can never eat like bones or coffee grounds.
Why recycle food?
- When recycled, food waste can be used to generate green electricity to help power homes and the local community. It also produces a high quality fertiliser which can be used in farming.
- It costs more than £600,000 to dispose of food waste that's put in the rubbish bin in Buckinghamshire each year, which is money that could be spent on other services.
- Buckinghamshire has a weekly recycling service for food waste. So it's collected twice as often as the general rubbish, making it easier to keep your rubbish smelling nice, or, not so stinky at least.
Check the information below to ensure you are recycling everything you can. Make a note of what you can't recycle too - that's just as important!
Which items of food can be recycled
Yes please
- All uneaten food and plate scrapings
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Out of date or mouldy food
- Raw and cooked meat, including bones
- Raw and cooked fish, including bones
- Dairy products such as cheese
- Eggs and egg shells
- Baked good such as bread, cakes and pastries
- Rice, pasta, beans
- Fruit and vegetables including raw and cooked vegetables and peelings
- Pet food
No thanks
- Non-food products including nappies
- Packaging of any kind
- Liquids such as milk - these may leak causing spillages when transporting food
- Any material that is not food waste
Want to get started?
If you want to join the thousands of homes in Buckinghamshire already recycling their food you just need a suitable container to use as a kitchen caddy, and an outdoor food recycling bin. You can visit the council website to ask for some food waste recycling bins to get started and you can order a years worth of caddy liners for just £4 here. This handy leaflet gives you everything you need to know to get started.
What happens to food waste after it's collected?
The food that is collected for recycling taken to facilities in Buckinghamshire to be turned into energy to power our homes and also a high quality fertiliser for use on agricultural land. Find out more.