Kitchen Waste and Cardboard Recycling
The new kitchen waste and cardboard recycling scheme started on 1st September 2009.
Every household, except flat blocks, in Stevenage should have a kitchen caddy to collect kitchen food waste. If you haven't received yours please contact waste.wizard@stevenage.gov.uk, telephone 0800 0527007.
What should you do
- Line your caddy with kitchen towel or newspaper (please do not use plastic bags even if they are biodegradable)
- Put your food waste into the caddy
- Keep the lid closed and keep the caddy in a cool part of the kitchen
- When it's full, wrap the waste in the newspaper and then place it in your brown bin
- Rinse your caddy with soapy water to keep it clean.
Your brown bin will now be collected all year round and we'll shortly be sending you a calendar of your new collection dates. See the list below of what can and cannot go into your brown bin.
| What can go in the brown bin | What cannot go in the brown bin |
|---|---|
| Food scraps | Liquids |
| Vegetables and fruit | Plastics |
| Meat, Fish and bones | Metals |
| Egg shells | Glass |
| Cooked and uncooked food | Tetra pak, Juice cartons |
| Teabags and coffee grounds | Textiles and shoes |
| Cardboard | Nappies |
| Cut flowers | Sanitary products |
| Garden waste - grass cuttings, prunings, leaves etc. | General refuse |
| Pet waste |
Your collection day won't change.
Why are we recycling kitchen and cardboard waste?
- Food waste currently forms about a fifth of our household rubbish.
- Gives off methane gas, which is a major cause of climate change
- Recycling food waste means we'll reduce the amount we send to landfill, and provide valuable compost material instead
What will happen to the waste that is collected?
We'll send all your food waste, cardboard and garden waste to a composting facility where it gets turned into compost.
First, all the materials are enclosed in a container and turned by a machine while heated over a three week period. The heating kills any harmful bacteria in the material and speeds up the composting process. The material is then taken outside and left in a large compost heap for about three months. The finished compost is used to improve the soil on farms.
Did you know...?
- Every year, the average Stevenage household produces more than a tonne of rubbish
- Each of us throws away our own body weight in rubbish every seven weeks
- The rubbish sent to landfill last year from Hertfordshire households could fill Wembley Stadium twice over.
Want to do more..?
Why not dispose of your kitchen waste in a composter? It's a recycled plastic bin for your garden with a lid and a hatch. Over time it will turn your kitchen and garden waste into fertiliser to spread on your garden.
The Hertfordshire WasteAware Partnership and Recycle Now Home Composting Campaign provide bargain compost bins to Hertfordshire residents. They are available from as little as £18. To find out more and to order your bin visit www.herts.getcomposting.com or telephone 0845 130 60 90