South Kesteven District Council's food waste collection trial axed

A three year food waste trial has been axed due to a lack of funding.

Some 4,700 households in South Kesteven, including some in Stamford, were given food waste caddies in the summer of 2018.

Since then collections have been carried out by the district council to see if people would separate their food waste from other non-recyclable rubbish.

The trial was funded by Lincolnshire County Council on behalf of the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership for two years before South Kesteven District Council had to pick up the cost.

At a full council meeting yesterday (March 3), it was announced the scheme would stop at the end of the month.

Coun Mark Whittington (Con - Grantham Barrowby Gate), cabinet member for waste services, said: "At the time what was going to happen was that nationally a food waste scheme would be rolled out between 2022 and 2023.

"Our hope was our pilot scheme would roll out with the national scheme.

"Unfortunately national government has had other things on its mind. It's likely now that the national food waste scheme won't roll out until 2025."

If central government introduces mandatory food waste bins it would be required to fund it, however if South Kesteven District Council continues with the scheme it would have to finance it itself.

The scheme has involved the use of a special dustcart with a separate pod to keep food waste from mixing with regular waste.

Those involved were given a small, seven-litre kitchen caddy and larger, 23-litre outdoor caddy for food waste, which has been recycled into electricity and soil conditioner.

Coun Whittington told councillors that the 10-year-old vehicles used are "at the end of their useful life" and that it cost £60,000 last year to keep them on the road.

He added: “To run it across the district would cost South Kesteven District Council £3.5m to set up and thousands more to maintain, and frankly this council does not have that sort of money.”

However, a number of councillors were not convinced by his argument and believed more should be budgeted to allow the food waste trial to be rolled out and to tackle climate change.

Coun Ashley Baxter (Ind - Market and West Deeping) described the axing of the scheme as a 'let down' and a 'backwards step', with fellow Independent ward councillor, Virgina Moran, saying it 'doesn't make sense' given how the council 'makes a big deal about becoming carbon neutral'.

When considering the budget recommendations, Coun Baxter submitted an amendment to retain the food waste pilot scheme.

However, the amendment fell and the food waste scheme has been dropped.