Food waste bin plans earn critical reception

READERS are not happy to hear that local households will soon be required to separate their food scraps into a separate recycling bin as part of a £2.3 million Plymouth City Council initiative.

-  CLAIRE ELLIOTT

Approximately 123,000 homes in the city will receive two new food waste bins - one for indoor use and another for curbside collection. This is in addition to the existing brown general waste bins, green recycling bins, and black garden waste bins.

The council will also need to invest in 10 new non-electric bin lorries. Weekly collections are slated to commence in spring 2026. This means residents will need to separate leftovers and peelings from other rubbish destined for the brown bin, enabling this waste to be transformed into renewable energy.

The decision to start food waste collections will contribute to increasing the city's recycling rate and aligns with the council's Net Zero Action Plan. The council has already begun preparations for the necessary infrastructure.

Before the service launch, a comprehensive public engagement programme will be implemented across the city to ensure residents understand how the service will operate.