Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has unveiled plans to increase correct brown bin usage.
At this month’s Environmental Services Committee meeting, members were informed of a 2024 waste compositional analysis study on black bin and blue bin waste, which highlighted the continuing incorrect disposal of food waste.
The study’s results showed that over 22 percent of black bin and four percent of blue bin contents was food waste.
To mitigate this council intends to apply a label to all household black bins, instructing householders that all food waste should be deposited in the brown bin for recycling.
Since autumn 2018 all households in the borough have been in receipt of a 240-litre brown bin for recycling mixed food and garden waste and a five-litre food caddy. Council supplies biodegradable food caddy liners free of charge.
“Presently, circa 5,000 tonnes of food waste per annum is disposed of incorrectly via household black and blue bins,” an Officer noted.
“Diverting food waste from the blue and black bins into the brown bin will realise £60 per tonne of financial savings, improve council’s recycling rate and contribute to the circular economy.”