Food caddies for the new 123+ waste collection service will start to be delivered to residents across the District next week, in preparation for the start of the new service on 1 August 2022.
From Tuesday 19 April, two food caddies will be delivered to over 62,000 households, over four weeks, to residents across the District, together with an information booklet, explaining how the new waste collection service works and what you need to do.
Residents will be provided with a small 7 litre caddy and a larger 23 litre external food waste bin. The small caddy is designed to be kept in the kitchen for collecting food waste, which can then be transferred into the external food waste bin for collection.
The approximate dimensions of the food caddy and food waste bin are as follows:
- 7 litre food caddy - 235mm (height) x 250mm (width) x 225mm (depth)
- 23 litre food waste bin - 390mm (height) x 290mm (width) x 340mm (depth)
The external food waste bin is designed to be stored outside and has a lockable lid to contain any smells and prevent vermin getting in. The food waste will be collected every week which will also help to prevent smells.
This will be a change from the current collection service where food waste can be put in the garden waste bin as part of the subscription service. The new service will see the food waste taken to a different facility for recycling from 1st August 2022.
Cllr Ian Shenton, Climate Change Portfolio says: "Although the new food caddies are being rolled out this week, please be patient as residents won't be receiving them all at the same time. Delivery to all households is expected to be over a four-week period.
"In preparation for the new service, residents will also receive an information booklet explaining all about the new service and most importantly the new collection calendar.
"The new food waste recycling service will make it easy for people to recycle their food waste every week. This will help remove any smelly waste from refuse bins and leaving more space for other rubbish. I know this is a change from the current service and habits, but I am sure that residents will adapt positively to this part of the new service.
"It will also help people realise how much food they waste each week and hopefully act as a prompt to reduce avoidable food waste, such as making the most of leftovers, planning meals and creating shopping lists and storing food correctly."
UK households waste 6.5 million tonnes of food every year, 4.5 million of which is edible. The average family of four can save over £60 per month by reducing their food waste. For hints and tips on how to make the most of leftovers, plan your shopping and meals and make your food last longer, visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
Cllr Shenton, continued: "From August, we will no longer be collecting food and garden waste together - each will be collected separately. It is much cheaper to compost garden waste if it is separated from cooked and raw food waste. Food waste has to be treated at much higher temperatures to kill any pathogens that could spread infections on farms.
If you already have food caddies - you can continue to use them. Unfortunately there is not an option to opt-out of receiving the new food caddies, but if you already have one and don't need the second ones please return them to the District Council offices in Stratford-upon-Avon.
For more information about the new 123+ waste collection service please visit: 123+ Waste Collections | Stratford-on-Avon District Council
What is the new 123+ service?
The new service includes:
- A new food waste collection every week, using a small kitchen caddy and larger external food waste bin.
- A recycling collection, every two weeks using your existing wheeled bin for paper, card, food and drink cans, glass bottles and jars, aerosols, food and drink cartons, plastic bottles, plastic pots, tubs and trays.
- Your refuse bin collection is changing from every 2 weeks to every 3 weeks.
+ Garden waste collection service every 2 weeks.
The full 123+ waste collection service starts on 1st August 2022.
Why are we introducing a 123+ service?
The end of the separate waste contracts for Stratford-on-Avon District Council and Warwick District Council in 2022 provides an ideal opportunity to work together. We are introducing a new joint waste and recycling collections approach to deliver the 123+ collections service. This will help us deliver a more efficient collection service that minimises environmental impact and benefits from economies of scale by sharing resources.
The new 123+ waste collection service will:
- Reduce waste and increase recycling this will improve the environment and help tackle climate change.
- Make the services more effective and efficient through joint working, minimising mileage travelled on collection rounds and reducing environmental pollution.
- Help keep service delivery costs as low as possible.
For further information please take a look at the FAQs on the website: 123+ Frequently asked Questions v1 (stratford.gov.uk)
Both Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick District Councils are committed to improving their services for the residents of South Warwickshire and are investigating joint working and shared services.
Starting in August 2022, the new contract across both Council districts will focus on achieving both environmental and financial benefits; using a 123+ service (weekly food waste collections, fortnightly recyclable waste collections and three weekly non-recyclable waste collections) encouraging residents to increase their household recycling, reduce non-recyclable waste and reduce the cost of treating and disposing of rubbish. In addition, it will support the ambition of both Councils to achieve carbon-neutral status for their districts by 2030.
The new joint refuse and recycling services contract has been awarded to Biffa Waste Services Ltd.
