The best thing to do with food is eat it. But if you can’t, here’s the inside scoop on turning your family’s scraps, peels and leftovers into power.
Over 16,000 tonnes of food waste is recycled in Buckinghamshire every year – that’s as heavy as 320 million slices of bread! But there’s still a lot that goes in the wrong bin and misses out. Join the food caddy club and let us turn your food scraps into green energy.
Read on as we squash some rubbish rumours and share top tips to help your family cut food waste, save money, and protect the planet!
What happens to my food scraps?
How we superpower your food waste
When you put your food waste in the food recycling bin, it’s taken to special places in Westcott and Aston Clinton. There, the food is squished and broken down in big tanks with no air – we call this ‘anaerobic digestion’. This makes biogas, which is turned into electricity to power homes, and it also makes a nutrient-rich fertiliser that farmers use to help grow new food!
One caddy of recycled food waste can generate enough electricity to power an LED lightbulb for 24 hours. Each year, just one of our Anaerobic Digestion facilities can make enough energy to power 12,000 homes!
Recycling your food waste is easy pea-sy!
Don’t get in a pickle, follow our top tips to make food recycling easy pea-sy!
You need an outdoor food waste recycling bin (which you can order from us) and a small container to use as a kitchen caddy.
Once you have your containers, you can start.
- Most people put a liner in their kitchen caddy – you can use compostable liners, plastic liners and bags or even newspaper! You can order a year’s supply of liners for £4 online.
- Fill it with food scraps – we accept it all! Just no liquid or packaging please. Get the list of what you can recycle.
- When your caddy is full, empty it into your outside food bin and put it out on bin day, or into the shared food bin if you live in a flat that has one.
Rubbish rumours squashed
I don’t produce enough food waste to make it worth it: False. Every little helps – even six recycled tea bags generate enough energy to boil the kettle for your next cuppa.
It’s a stinky pest-magnet: False. Outdoor caddies have lockable lids and are collected weekly. Indoor caddies are small and easy to rinse.
I don’t have space: you don’t need a special caddy – an old icecream tub or another small container works perfectly.
I can’t afford the special liners: you can use any plastic bag (like bread bags or carrier bags) or even newspaper.Read more about using plastic bags in your caddy.
I already compost: food caddies can take things your compost can’t, like meat, dairy, bread, and fish bones.
Make your food go further
Save food and beat the bin
Using up food and wasting less is one of the quickest and easiest ways to save money and help the planet. Families of four could save £60 a month by reducing food waste!
Getting kids involved with reducing food waste
- Let children help plan meals so none of the food is a surprise
- Teach portion awareness using smaller plates and learning to serve themselves from the main dish.
- Turn leftover night into a fun family challenge
- Try new recipes that use up food you already have
Together, your family can cut down on waste while saving money and supporting a cleaner, greener Buckinghamshire.
Try cooking these great recipes
Why not try out some of these great recipes from Love Food Hate Waste to cook with the kids? You can even search for dishes using ingredients that you need to use up.
And check out these ‘good food habits’ for simple, practical tips to help you get the most value from your food and keep it out of the bin. Did you know potatoes last three times longer in the fridge and you can freeze a lot more food than you might imagine?
Plus, we’ve put together a handy toolkit about reducing food waste at home. From meal planning and storing food so it lasts longer, to community fridges and helpful apps, it’s all here.
And for some recycling fun for the kids, give this interactive game from National Geographic Kids a go! Recycle Roundup. Help clean up the park! Your job is to sort the stuff people throw away and put it in the proper bin.
