8 food waste myths… busted!
Having a positive impact
Recycling your food waste is one of the biggest ways to have a positive impact in our area – but lots of people aren’t doing it (or, at least, not as much as they could be). But most of the reasons people don’t use a food waste caddy – from thinking they don’t produce enough waste to worrying the container might smell – are misconceptions.
We chatted with Alex and Zoe from our Environmental Services team to debunk common myths around food waste – here’s what they said:
Myth 1: I don’t produce enough food waste
Lots of people are surprised by how much food waste they produce. “Using a food waste caddy often highlights how much you throw into your black bin,” explains Zoe.
You can benefit from a food waste bin even if you compost at home, she adds: “Lots of things go in your food waste that can’t be composted, such as meat, bones and dairy. It’s much more than just tea bags and coffee grounds!”
In case you weren’t sure, all these things can go in a food waste bin:
- meat and fish – both raw and cooked (including small bones)
- raw and cooked vegetables and fruit (including peelings, stones and nut shells)
- all dairy products such as cheese
- eggs (including shells)
- bread, pastries and cakes
- cooked and uncooked pasta, rice and beans
- teabags and coffee grounds
- uneaten leftovers and plate scrapings
- out-of-date food that’s been fully removed from its packaging
- pet food
- solidified cooking oils and fats
Myth 2: It’s smelly
When food waste rots, it can smell. However, If you use and empty your small indoor food waste container regularly, it won’t smell any worse than if you emptied your food waste into your regular bin.
In fact, by using a food waste bin, you could reduce those unsavoury smells in your house. “Your big black bin is probably smellier if you’re putting food waste in it,” muses Alex, “because general kitchen bins tend to be emptied less frequently than food caddies. By keeping waste out of your kitchen bin you keep it cleaner and less likely to smell”.
Myth 3: It attracts wild animals
There’s no need to be concerned about wild animals being attracted to your food waste bin, says Zoe: “They have lockable handles to prevent vermin from being attracted and getting in.”
Myth 4: All my rubbish ends up in the same place
Alex explains that the contents of food waste bins don’t go to the same place as rubbish from black bins. When disposed of correctly, food waste is “taken to a special plant – called an anaerobic digestion plant – where it’s heated, pasteurised and broken down to produce a natural gas alternative called bio methane (that can be turned into electricity and used for to power buildings and homes) and fertiliser (some of which is used on local fields).”
If food waste is dumped in with all your other rubbish, it won’t reach the anaerobic digestion plant and the resources that could have been used in this positive process will be wasted.
Myth 5: It won’t make a difference
Because food waste goes to this special anaerobic digestion plant, the waste is turned into something useful. In this way, the food waste recycling service can generate rich organic fertiliser for agriculture and renewable electricity for houses. If everyone in Central Bedfordshire recycled their food waste, it would generate enough electricity to power over 2,600 homes a year!
When people separate their food waste, they often start reducing it too. Zoe says: “When people realise the amount they throw away, we often see them start taking steps to reduce it too, which is fantastic.”
Think ahead to make your food go further: plan meals in advance, use up leftovers, be creative with peelings (potato skin crisps, anyone?!) and freeze things you can’t eat straight away.
Myth 6: I can’t afford it
Food waste disposal won’t cost you extra: we provide a small indoor caddy, bigger outdoor food waste bin and caddy liners.
Minimising your food waste in the first place (what you buy and waste) also helps you save money – on average, households in the UK throw away £700 of edible food each year!
Myth 7: I have to use plastic liners
It’s understandable that eco-conscious people are concerned about plastic liners. “You don’t have to use plastic if you don’t feel comfortable,” says Zoe. “Liners often help people get over the ‘ick’ factor, because they help keep the caddy clean and make it easier to transfer the waste to the larger bin, but you can wrap it in newspaper if you prefer or even leave it loose in the caddy.”
Myth 8: I don’t have time
Like any other habit, it just takes time for your new food waste routine to become second nature. Keeping your food waste caddy under the sink or together with your general waste bin will help you remember to separate your food waste when you’re putting things into the bin.
And you don’t even need to remember another date for when to put the bin out – as collections are always each week on the same day as your normal bin collections.
Plus, getting started couldn’t be simpler, Alex explains: “You don't even have to leave the house. Just order online and we’ll drop everything off at your door. A few clicks and you’re ready to go.”
Share your experience
Do you use a food waste caddy? Has it helped you reduce your waste?