3. Questions and concerns about food waste recycling
Is it smelly and unhygienic to have a food waste bin in my kitchen?
No – having a food caddy is actually cleaner, more hygienic and less likely to smell than your current kitchen bin for a number of reasons.
- Food waste only smells when it is mixed with other rubbish. So separating your food waste from your general rubbish kitchen will actually reduce the potential for bad smells.
- Your food waste is collected every week whereas the waste in your normal kitchen bin is collected every three weeks.
- Your kitchen caddy has a lockable lid and no vents which means that no odor is emitted.
The best way to find out is to try recycling your food waste – if you don’t like it, we will come and take your caddy away free of charge.
Does food waste recycling attract foxes and rats?
No. Foxes and rats are attracted to bin bags which have food waste in them and can access them within general rubbish bins. However, our food caddy is designed to keep vermin out. It is lockable and cannot be opened when the handle is pulled forward over the bin or in an upright position. So recycling your food waste is a great way to ensure your bins do not attract vermin.
What size food caddy do I need?
Our indoor caddy (7 litres) is designed to be small enough to be kept out of sight in a kitchen cupboard and emptied once every couple of days.
Our outdoor food caddy (23 litres) should be big enough for the amount of food waste created by the average household over a week.
You can also put your food waste directly in your green bin which has a higher capacity at 140 or 240 litres.
How to reduce the amount of food you waste
Food waste recycling is the best way to deal with leftover or unused food.
But the ideal would be to not waste food at all.
The average UK family with children throws away £720 worth of food a year, that’s almost £60 a month.
All that food has to be replaced, meaning more shopping, more cooking and more expense.
To save money and do your bit for the environment, visit the Love Food, Haste Waste website for tips about how to buy the right amount of food in the first place, store food to increase its shelf life and what to do with leftovers so they don’t end up in the bin.