New food waste bins are trialled

Householders in Wiltshire are being encouraged to join a scheme to help get rid of their food waste.

The county council is trialling a number of "food digesting" bins to residents.

One type of bin breaks food down into gases and water, and the other produces compost. They must be sited in a sunny part of a garden.

The authority thinks up to a third of the contents of an average household bin could be recycled in this way.

'Green house gases'

At present, the council has to pay to collect, transfer and bury cooked kitchen waste in landfill where it is a major producer of the greenhouse gas methane.

Councillor Toby Sturgis, said: "People are keen to be green, that is why we already recycle nearly 40% of our household waste - but we know people want to do more.

"I was appalled to find out that surveys show the average Wiltshire household throws £400-worth of food away a year.

"It's not sustainable to keep on burying this rubbish in the ground. It is expensive and it produces green house gases," he added.