6. Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why should I use the food waste service?
Separating food waste:
- helps tackle climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- allows waste to be turned into energy and fertiliser
- reduces the public cost of waste disposal through Energy from Waste
- removes old food from your house more regularly than if you simply throw it in your rubbish bin
- keeps your kitchen bin and rubbish wheelie bin cleaner.
Q. Do I have to bag my food in the caddy?
Yes. Our crews will not empty caddies containing loose food.
If your food is loose in your caddy, it will spill on our crews when they empty it. It will also release spores when they open the lid.
Bagging your food and folding over the tops of the bags (or tying them, if possible) helps our crews carry out their jobs safely and cleanly.
Q. What bags can I use to line my kitchen caddy?
You can use any plastic or paper bag – but try to avoid compostable bags, which do not break down in anaerobic digestion and are more difficult and energy-intensive to remove.
All bags – including compostable bags – will be removed at the food waste processing plant before the food is sorted and taken to an energy from waste plant to be converted into electricity.
Use bread bags, potato bags, salad bags, frozen goods bags, or cheap wastepaper basket liners – all are fine.
Reusing old bags extends the usable life of the bags and reduces the energy consumption associated with making brand new compostable bags that don’t break down anyway.
It will also save you money!
Q. Why should I avoid compostable bags?
Compostable bags don’t break down in anaerobic digestion. They are also very stretchy and are more difficult to remove by machinery than other bags, meaning the removal process uses significantly more energy.
For this reason, the anaerobic digestion plant would prefer that you do not use compostable bags.
Q. Why can’t I put compostable packaging in with my food waste?
Compostable packaging – including bags, cups, trays, etc. – will not break down with the food waste.
This is because our food waste is treated by anaerobic digestion rather than by composting.
The advantage of anaerobic digestion over composting is that it enables the production of electricity and biogas in addition to an agricultural soil improver.
Q. How is my food waste recycled?
Your food waste is sent to an anaerobic digestion facility in Devon, where it is turned into:
- renewable energy (electricity and biogas)
- agricultural soil improver
Q. Will my food waste smell?
There is no reason for it to smell. The caddies are designed to contain odours.
Because food waste is collected weekly, it will spend less time sitting inside or outside your home compared to general rubbish, helping to keep your bins cleaner and fresher.
Q. Where can I find out more information about what happens to my food waste?
To see what happens to food waste in Devon, and to learn more about the anaerobic digestion process, please visit the Food Waste zone on the Recycle Devon website.