In the first six weeks of the weekly food waste collection trial, residents in the five trial areas have saved the town more than £3,000 in waste disposal costs by using their food caddies.
More than 30 tonnes of food waste have been collected since the trial started on 1 July.
Each tonne of food waste costs the council just £10 to dispose of. Each tonne of general waste – that is in the grey bin – costs the council around £120 to dispose of meaning each tonne of food waste in the caddies and not in the grey bins saves £110 in disposal costs.
Now the council is calling on more residents in the trial areas – parts of Britwell, Langley, Colnbrook, Chalvey and the Diamond Road estate – to use their food waste caddies so more food waste can be diverted from the grey bins into the special weekly collections.
Councillor Gurcharan S Manku, lead member for environmental services, said: “Our thanks go to the hundreds of residents who are taking part in the food waste trial – for not only doing their bit to help the planet, but also to help Slough with a cash saving with each tonne of food that is recycled.
“The benefits of the food waste collection are not just financial, but environmental with each tonne of leftovers, bones, used tea bags, fruit and vegetable peelings being turned into green energy and fertiliser.”
He added: “I would like to remind everyone in the trial areas that the collections are weekly, the caddies can take all types of food, are lockable to keep out pests and no special liners are needed as the food waste can be put in normal little bin bags or even carrier bags before being put in the caddies.
“It is the easiest, fastest, cleanest and greenest way to deal with leftover food!”
All residents living in the trial areas with normal red and grey bins had indoor and outdoor caddies delivered to them in June with a postcard featuring fun character Kit the Caddy who loves the taste of food waste who explained everything he likes to eat and anything that makes him sick!
For more information about the trial, maps of the trial area and a full list of items which can be put in the food waste caddies see www.slough.gov.uk/foodwaste