Belgium offers chickens to waste-cutting households

The scheme seeks to promote new ideas for waste management

Residents of a Belgian town are to be offered chickens as part of a campaign to reduce household waste.

The town of Mouscron has 50 pairs of chickens that it will distribute to families with sufficient space to keep the birds in their gardens.

Those who take part in the scheme must agree not to eat the chickens for at least two years, or to give them away.

Local officials are stressing that applicants could gain a supply of free, fresh eggs.

The town council's environment department is building on the success of a previous distribution of chickens, officials told Belgium's La Derniere Heure.

The aim of the project is to publicise alternative methods of waste management.

Residents included in the project will be given basic instruction on chicken-keeping.