MORAY HOUSEHOLDS ARE being urged to recycle their Christmas leftovers and help the Council drive to reduce the amount of food waste dumped at their Dallachy landfill site.
The call comes on the back of an estimated 5000tonnes of food waste from Moray homes finding its way to landfill every year when it could have gone for recycling – and save part of the £400,000 a year landfill tax having to be paid to the Scottish Government.
Moray Council’s recycling officer, Fiona Burnett, said: “Households throw away a huge amount of food and drink every year, especially over Christmas and New Year.
“More than half of the materials which go to landfill at Dallachy are capable of being recycled – and a large proportion of that is food waste. We throw away more food and drink each year than we do packaging and much of it ends up in landfill because people put it in their green bin instead of where it should go, which is their brown bin.
“Most people use the brown bin primarily for garden waste, which is fine. But it is also where food waste should be deposited so that it can be recycled.”
Anyone not in possession of a garden or standard 240litre brown bin can contact Moray Council who will provide smaller plastic containers in which waste food can be deposited.
All manner of food waste can be placed in the brown bin for recycling, including fruit and veg, bread, pasta, rice, cheese, eggs, yoghurt, raw and cooked meat and fish, tea bags and even pet food.
However, care should be taken to remove all packaging which may be suitable for recycling elsewhere.