Council set to launch Groundbreaking Food Waste Recycling Program as part of national £295m plan to reduce landfill waste....

27th August 2024

(Author: HBC Exposed)

Hartlepool’s getting set to embark on what’s claimed to be ‘a major shake up of its household recycling schemes’, with the introduction of a new food waste recycling program.

Starting October 2025. A ‘Simpler Recycling’ scheme, aimed at making the town more sustainable and eco-friendly will be introduced.

The new system will eventually then be rolled out to every household in the borough by March 2026, in line with national targets to improve recycling rates across England…..

A Greener Future for Hartlepool

The new food waste recycling initiative is claimed to be a significant step towards Hartlepool's goal of becoming a "connected, sustainable, clean, and green" community in reports which are set to go before councillors at a Neighbourhood services committee next week.

The scheme, which will see the weekly collection of food waste from town households, is expected to divert up to 3,000 tonnes of organic waste from incineration each year. Instead of being burned, the waste will be processed through anaerobic digestion, a method that not only reportedly reduces landfill, but also produces biogas and fertiliser.

How It Will Work

In the report, its claimed residents will be provided with two caddies – one for the kitchen and one for outdoor use. The kitchen caddy will be emptied into the outdoor caddy, which will then be collected by the council's dedicated food waste team every week. This system is designed to make food waste recycling as easy and convenient as possible for residents.

Economic and Environmental Benefits report claims....

Switching from incineration to anaerobic digestion for food waste treatment is not only more environmentally friendly but also said to be more cost-effective.

Hartlepool Borough Council’s said to have been awarded £806,000 from the Government’s ‘New Burdens’ fund to help with the initial setup of the scheme. Although council chiefs have been quick to point out that the funding given from the government reportedly 'does not cover the entire cost of the rollout of the new scheme' & that negotiations for additional support from the Government are said to be ‘ongoing’.

The report, set to go before councillors next week drums up the benefits of the potential savings and environmental benefits in what the report states will be an exciting opportunity for Hartlepool.

By turning food waste into biogas, the town can reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to the production of renewable energy.

The scheme is set to be trialled in late 2025....

The program will initially be launched as a trial in October 2025, allowing the Council to refine the system before undertaking a full rollout of the service in March 2026. As part of the wider ‘Simpler Recycling’ initiative, Hartlepool will also see the introduction of mixed recycling collections and plastic film recycling in the coming years.

Council Chiefs are said to be ‘optimistic’ that this program will help the town meet the government’s recycling targets of 65% of all waste by 2035, with the move said to represent a significant step forward in making Hartlepool greener, & a more sustainable place to live.]

Nationally, its claimed the government has set aside £295m to councils across the country to introduce a weekly food collection scheme in its bid to reduce food waste going to landfill.