News & Events
Lisburn Launches New Food Waste Trial20 February 2009
Lisburn City Council is carrying out a trial scheme for the collection of household food waste from the beginning of March 2009.
The trial will be taking place in the villages of Aghalee, Lower Ballinderry and Upper Ballinderry.
This scheme will add to the use of the existing brown bin, which householders currently use to recycle compostable garden materials. A wide range of food waste can be placed in the brown bin and composted along with the garden waste in the trial scheme area.
Speaking at the launch of the scheme Alderman Paul Porter, Chairman of the Council’s Environmental Services Committee, said: “To ensure this scheme is as user friendly as possible, the Council will provide the relevant householders with a small kitchen caddy and special biodegradable food waste bags. To conduct the trial successfully householders only need to line the caddy with one of the special bags provided and put any waste food such as tea bags, cereal, bread, meat, fish, fruit and vegetables into the container. Once the caddy is nearly full the bag is sealed at the top and placed in the existing brown bin.”
“The Council are testing two caddie designs, meaning some homes will have been provided with solid caddies and others with vented caddies. This will enable the Council to assess whether householders find one type of caddy preferable to the other,” concluded Alderman Porter.
The European Union have set demanding targets restricting the amount of biodegradable waste which can now be sent to landfill. If these targets are not met any additional cost arising from fines would ultimately have to be borne by the ratepayer. To minimise the potential risk of any fines the Council have initiated the food waste collection scheme to help achieve these targets.
Alderman Paul Porter added: “The Council have provided each household participating in the trial with a detailed information leaflet explaining how to use the caddy and exactly what items of food waste can be placed in it. It is important that only the bags provided by the Council are used, as these bags are designed to decompose into compost. Alternative plastic bags will not degrade and if used will result in brown bins not been emptied due to contamination.”
“The Council would like to assure residents that their bin collection day has not been changed as a result of this trial and if anyone requires more biodegradable food waste bags, please place the tag provided around the brown bin handle.”
“As this is currently a trial a member of the Council’s Waste Management Team, will be in calling at the relevant households after a number of months, to assess how the scheme is perceived. Please be assured that these Officers will carry identification, which will clearly state they are from the Council and they will not require access into any homes,” said Alderman Porter.
If the trial scheme is a success it is anticipated that other households in the City with brown bins will be added to the food waste collection scheme in September 2009. In the meantime only households in the trial area can recycle food waste via their brown bins. Other householders should continue to use their brown bins only for collection of garden waste for composting.
Lisburn City Council appreciates the support and participation in this trial from the residents of Aghalee, Upper and Lower Ballinderry villages. If you require any further information please contact the Waste Management Team via the recycling hotline on freephone 0800 092 0246.
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