Wales may be a small country, but when it comes to recycling, we punch way above our weight. With 95% of us regularly recycling our waste, we’re already the third best recycling nation in the world, and now we’ve teamed up with Wales Recycles to support their Mighty Mission to Wales get to number one.
That’s why, we’re calling on everyone to ramp up their efforts when it comes to food waste recycling.
Whilst almost all Welsh citizens recycle everyday items such as cardboard, bathroom toiletries, and plastic bottles, many are still not recycling all their food waste. In fact, around a quarter of what’s in the general rubbish bin is still food, all of which could be recycled.
Food waste is powerful – most food waste that’s recycled in Wales is sent to an anaerobic digestion facility, where it’s turned into green energy. Last year Welsh residents recycled enough to power more than 10,000 homes, but with around 100,000 tonnes of food waste still ending up in the general rubbish bin – enough to power an additional 7,500 homes – this climate change-fighting renewable energy is lost forever.
WRAP Cymru’s research revealed the ‘yuck factor’ (or ‘ych-a-fi factor’ in Wales) is the biggest barrier, with people being put off by potential smells, leaks and spills. However, what many people don’t realise is that recycling our food waste creates fewer smells and is more hygienic than putting it in the bin. The content of our food waste caddies is collected every week, whilst our non-recyclable waste is collected less frequently.
We all produce some amount of unavoidable food waste – such as eggshells, bones, teabags and peelings – which should be recycled (if not composted at home) to generate green energy to help power communities in Wales.
Follow Wales Recycles’ 5 handy tips:
If you’ve got a leftover lemon that will otherwise be uneaten, you could run its flesh against the inside of your bin. It’s a natural odour remover and will help to kill any germs that might be lurking.
To find out more tips and hacks and discover how your food waste creates power visit Wales Recycles and join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #BeMightyRecycle.
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