Since the food waste collections restarted in March 2022, residents have recycled a massive 123,020 kg of food and converted it into fertiliser and energy.
From Monday 14 November, Sandwell Council is asking residents who don’t currently use the service to sign up online to start receiving free food waste (brown bin) collections.
The new food waste subscription service will not only turn unwanted food waste and scraps into fertiliser, it will also boost our green credential and help us to reduce our carbon footprint by only travelling to the households who use the service.
Councillor Zahoor Ahmed, Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment Services, said: “Food waste recycling service returned earlier this year and many residents are embracing the service and enjoying the benefits.
“Not only are they doing their bit for the environment, residents using the service can see just how much food they throw away and can save money by buying less in the future.
“We want to continue to provide this service in the most environmentally friendly way possible by only travelling to areas where residents have left their food waste bin out for collection.
“Therefore, we are asking residents who want to use the food waste service to sign up for this service online. This does not apply to anyone who has been using the service to date as we already have you on our system and will continue to collect your food waste bin.
“This request is only for new residents who want to receive food waste collections – those residents who are not currently using their brown bin or who don’t have a brown bin.
“We encourage residents to take advantage of this service as it reducing the amount of rubbish going to landfill and we can turn food waste into fertiliser and energy.”
Residents can recycle all types of food waste including meal leftovers, fruit and vegetable peelings or just peelings, meat and fish bones, stale bread and cakes plus uneaten pet food and tea bags. A full list of items can be found on the council's food waste webpage.
Food can be placed into an indoor kitchen caddy, or alterative container, before putting it into the outside brown handled bin. Caddies can be kept clean by using compostable bin liners available at all major retailers. Alternatively, newspaper or kitchen roll can be used to line the bin.
We are urging residents who don’t currently recycle their food waste to give it a try, its quick and simple and you can even order a replacement bin for free at the same time as signing up to the food waste subscription service online or by calling 0121 368 1177 if you need advice by phone about food waste collections in Sandwell.