Where does our household food waste go?

Everyday, food is wasted on a large scale, but where does it go?

In most cases, the food we waste ends up in our food recycling or landfill bins. This food could be meals we haven’t finished or food we have left to go bad in our cupboards, fridges and freezers. Food waste that is recycled is often composted or used to provide energy. If the food waste is placed in landfill, it will breakdown producing greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere and contribute to global warming.

In the UK, currently 44% of our household waste is recycled, many councils throughout the UK provide a separate bin for you to put your food waste into to be recycled. By 2023, under the Environment Bill, all local authorities will have to start collecting food waste as part of their waste and recycling collection services.

This increase in food waste collection, is a move in the right direction as it removes household food waste from being sent to landfill and reduces the amount of greenhouse gases that would have been emitted into the atmosphere.

To see when your local council collects your food waste and to check which bin you should be using for food waste see: www.recyclenow.com/recycle-an-item/food-waste.

If you already have a food waste bin, make sure you are only putting in the approved waste, it is possible that not all councils will collect the same food waste items so check on your local council’s website.