During the summer months recycling your food waste can be less appealing as the combination of warmer weather and food may provide a breeding ground for flies and maggots. However, you can go a lon...
During the summer months recycling your food waste can be less appealing as the combination of warmer weather and food may provide a breeding ground for flies and maggots. However, you can go a long way to make sure your green wheeled bin and food caddy does not attract unwelcome visitors by following these simple food waste tips...
Flies are attracted by smells, so:
- Double bag food waste such as meat and bones or wrap in newspaper to reduce the smell and stop the flies laying eggs on the food.This also applies to cat and dog food.
- Sprinkle white vinegar in your bins to neutralise odours.
- Rinse your bins out regularly and keep them clean by bagging everything before putting it in the bin.
- If possible store the green bin away from direct sunlight to reduce smells.
- Hang an insecticidal strip inside your green bin.
- Home compost your kitchen vegetable waste in a home compost bin. Visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/composting for some great deals on cheap bins to get you started.
- Keep the bin and food caddy lid closed when not in use.
- Keep all food covered up and ‘bag and bin’ waste straight away, particularly with dog and cat food;
- Try not to prepare too much food, reducing the amount of food you throw away. Visit LoveFoodHateWaste.com for some great food waste saving tips.
Recycling food waste saves Warwickshire taxpayers' money by diverting it from more expensive forms of disposal. It also goes on to be processed into valuable compost which is taken and used on Warwickshire farmland, further feeding our local economy.
Portfolio Holder for Environment, Heritage & Culture, Councillor David Reilly, said: “By simply wrapping unwanted food in newspaper or a compostable caddy liner before placing in the green wheeled bin can make a huge difference by reducing flies and smells, whilst also helping to keep you bin clean”
Are you In to Win? Why not sign up to be in with a chance of becoming one of five monthly winners who each receive a £30 shopping voucher just for recycling food waste in the green wheeled bin. Visit www.feedyourcaddy.co.uk for further details.
To watch a video on what happens to your food waste once it’s been collected visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/foodwaste