Food waste is collected in Calderdale, so that you can recycle more. We can then process this in an environmentally friendly way.
- How do I use my food caddies?
- What can I put in my caddy?
- Why recycle food waste?
- What happens to food waste?
All you need to do is put food waste into your small kitchen caddy, inside the bags provided. These bags then go into your large caddy, which is put out for collection. Your food waste is collected every week, on the same day and time as your normal recycling collection.
How do I use my food caddies?
To allow you to easily separate your food waste from the your other waste, we give you:
- A kitchen caddy, to collect your waste in the kitchen.
- Bags, to line the kitchen caddy.
- A larger outdoor caddy, for placing (tied) waste food bags in, ready for collection.
- Collect your waste in the small kitchen caddy.
- Tie up the bag to transfer it.
- Store the waste in the larger caddy ready for collection.
Note: Please use the waste food bags we provide or any carrier bag. The bags no longer need to be biodegradable. We have changed the reprocessor to deal with the food waste and they do not need biodegradable bags.
If you need more waste food bags for your small caddy:
Request waste and recycling containers.
You can also:
- Leave a note on your large caddy on collection day and the crew will leave them inside your outdoor caddy.
- Collect some from a Customer First office.
What can I put in my caddy?
You can place any raw or cooked food into your caddy.
Yes please . . .
- meat and fish (raw or cooked, including bones);
- all dairy products, such as, eggs and cheese;
- vegetables and fruit (raw or cooked);
- bread, cakes and pastries;
- rice, pasta and beans;
- uneaten food from your plates and dishes;
- and tea and coffee grounds.
No thanks . . .
- packaging of any sort;
- animal food;
- animal waste;
- liquids;
- oil or liquid fat;
- tins;
- cans;
- and glass.
Why recycle food waste?
Did you know that rotting food in landfill generates methane gas? This is a greenhouse gas that is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Your actions will help to cut down on the amount of food waste that ends up in landfill sites.
The average household bin is made up of 20% of food waste. So, it is important to reduce the amount of food that we throw away, visit Love Food Hate Waste. Then we can recycle everything that is leftover, to prevent it from going to a landfill site.
What happens to food waste?
Once we have collected your food waste, it is taken to a special processing plant. There it is treated in an enclosed vessel, which breaks down the food. This produces green energy using a process called 'Anaerobic Digestion'. This generates renewable energy and a nutrient-rich fertiliser, which can be used to grow more food.