Published Date: Nov 22nd, 2024
Hundreds of Fife households have benefitted from a new food waste collection service throughout the region in recent months – and there’s more good news on the horizon!
Following a hugely successful trial at Ravenscraig in Kirkcaldy last year, Fife Council was awarded around £30,000 from Zero Waste Scotland to buy food caddies, liners and external units for people living in other high-rise flats across the Kingdom.
The rollout started in July at Broomhead in Dunfermline before moving to Forth View in Kirkcaldy, Swan and Memorial Courts in Leven and Raeburn Heights in Glenrothes, with more than 3,800kg of food waste (equivalent to 3.8 tonnes) collected from around 600 properties so far in the second half of this year alone.
That’s food that would otherwise have ended up in landfill, but instead it’s been collected and diverted to the anaerobic digestion plant in Dunfermline which in turn feeds the communal heat network.
Now Fife Council is looking to expand the service further to mid-rise properties, with selected locations in Kirkcaldy set to participate initially before other areas adopt the new way of working.
Councillor Jan Wincott, Fife Council spokesperson for environment and climate change, said: "We’ve been delighted with how this project has gone so far and the results speak for themselves.
“We have seen a significant shift in recycling habits during the trial period and the initial rollout, and the feedback from residents has been overwhelmingly positive.
“It’s clear that when food waste collections are introduced, and people see how much food goes to waste in their home, they want to do something about it.
“Rolling these out to more properties across Fife is a no brainer, and it marks a significant step in our efforts to reduce waste and contribute to a more sustainable Fife.”
The focus on food waste comes after a 2022 waste analysis conducted by Fife Council found that food and garden waste accounted for 31% of residual waste in the area.
This insight spurred the development of enhanced food waste collection services, which are now being expanded over the coming weeks and months thanks to Zero Waste Scotland’s financial support.
Residents have been provided with household food caddies and liners, along with clear instructions for proper use, while new communal food waste bins have been strategically placed near building entrances to make it easy for people to dispose of their food waste.
People have appreciated the convenience of the bin locations, reduced odours, and the user-friendly design of the food-waste collection system, so the positive results have provided Fife Council with plenty of encouragement.
“We’re now moving to some of our mid-rise properties and hope to have the remaining external food units in place over the next few months,” explained Sandy Anderson, Fife Council service manager.
“We’re looking at the Highlands and Islands area of Kirkcaldy next and are hoping to move to a couple of other areas within Kirkcaldy after that. And beyond that, we’re speaking to our housing service to see where they think there is a need across Fife.
“All in all, it’s exciting to see the impact of this expanded service and we remain committed to supporting our residents in reducing food waste and enhancing recycling efforts.”
Estimates suggest over 10 million tonnes of food is wasted every year in the UK, with much sent to landfill.
Separate collections of food waste from households therefore prevent contamination of other waste which could be usefully recycled, as well as ensuring that food waste can be sent to anaerobic digestion facilities to generate sustainable energy to power local homes and businesses - rather than needlessly lost to landfill.
The initiative follows a successful 12-week trial conducted in three high-rise buildings in Kirkcaldy. The trial proved highly effective, collecting a total of 1.573 tonnes of food waste—equivalent to 43 kg per week per building.
This expanded rollout is a key part of Fife Council’s commitment to tackling climate change as outlined in the Climate Fife 2024 Strategy and Action Plan.
For more information on the new food waste recycling service, please visit Fife Council’s website or contact Fife Council’s Waste Management team.
Our group pic above shows (from left to right) Kevin Somerville (waste operations officer); local resident Margo Linton; Councillor Jan Wincott, spokesperson for environment and climate change; Sandy Anderson, waste operations service manager; Councillor Ian Cameron, Kirkcaldy area committee convener; and Derek Dewar, local resident.
