Food collection plan for South Gloucestershire residents

The council is aiming to cut the amount of waste going to landfills

Residents of South Gloucestershire could get food and plastic kerbside recycling from winter 2010.

Plans for waste food collections were first mooted by the council in 2008 and a small trial was held during 2009.

Now the council's cabinet will be asked to sign off a deal with waste collection firm SITA to roll out the scheme to the whole area.

If approved, residents would see a weekly food waste collection and a fortnightly plastic bottle collection.

A council report into the proposal says the scheme will help the council move towards its target of 50% of waste being recycled.

Landfill tax

The report adds that the plan "incorporates the wishes of the public" who have "constantly requested" plastic and food kerbside collections.

The move will also help to reduce money spent on the Landfill Tax which is rising from £48-per-tonne this year to £80-per-tonne in 2014/15.

Waste would be collected by the council on a two-week cycle: food, plastic, garden waste and green box would be collected during the first week.

During the second week, a second food waste collection would take place with cardboard recycling and black bins.

Bristol residents already benefit from food collections while Bath and North East Somerset is due to begin a similar scheme later in 2010.

The council's cabinet is meeting to make a decision over the move on 17 May 2010.