The provision of free food waste bags is coming to an end in East Dunbartonshire bringing the Council in line with other local authorities across the country.
While not a statutory requirement, food waste bags have been provided to residents for free since the introduction of the service in 2013. The Council buys around 72,000 bags every year at a cost of about £27,000.
At its budget meeting in March, it was confirmed that the Council would withdraw the provision of free food recycling bags to redirect the money towards the provision of other vital services.
However, there is still a number of options available to households including:
- Placing loose food directly into the caddy
- Lining the caddy with kitchen roll
- Using plastic bags such as bread, salad, cereal, sandwich bags, pedal bin liners or carrier bags which are nearing the end of their usefulness
- Compostable bags are also available to purchase from many local retailers on online outlets.
Thomas McMenamin, Executive Officer Roads & Neighbourhood Services at East Dunbartonshire Council, said, “There are a lot of low or no-cost options available as alternative caddy liners to residents.
“The weekly food waste recycling service is available to all properties across the authority area and plays a key role in helping the environment by diverting food waste from landfill where it emits harmful methane gas once it breaks down.
“In East Dunbartonshire recycled food waste is used to generate electricity, which is then fed into the national grid.
I’d like to say a big thank you to all residents who are currently recycling their food waste for their fantastic efforts and encourage others to support and make use of the weekly food waste collections on offer.
"With food waste taking up over 30 per cent of the average household bin, recycling this waste and using it to generate electricity instead can make a real difference in reducing our impact on the environment.
“Remembering to recycle your food waste correctly helps to us reduce general waste and achieve recycling targets. It also frees up space in your domestic waste bin.”
If you would like to order a free food waste caddy, please contact the Council on 0300 123 4510 or complete our online form.
You can find out what you can put in your food caddy by visiting the bins and recycling webpage.
