A PIONEERING waste food collection trial is to be carried out in West Devon ? if a bid for funding proves successful. West Devon Borough Council?s environment committee last week unanimously agreed to press ahead with the idea, despite concerns regarding collection of other non-recyclable waste materials, which would only be collected on a fortnightly basis. Recycling education officer Andrew Barron said during a recent doorstepping campaign, more than a third of those questioned voted for a weekly collection of food waste as being a scheme which would make a proposed fortnightly collection of non-recyclable waste more convenient. A bid for funding had been submitted to the Waste Resources Action Programme to design and introduce a food waste collection scheme in the borough. If successful, the trial would involve up to 5,000 households, possibly in the Tavistock area. Food waste would be collected weekly and householders would receive a small kitchen caddy with a corn starch biodegradable bag insert and a larger container for the kerbside. Mr Barron said: ?By carrying out a food waste collection trial at this time, the council will be in a better position to make an informed decision regarding alternate weekly refuse collections and the need or otherwise for a major change in service in time for the waste services contract letting process to be concluded in 2010.? Although the cost of the scheme would be subsidised, there would still be a cost to the council of approximately £44,000. A waste analysis carried out in the spring showed 22% of all waste collected was food waste. The food waste would go to the Devon County Council composting site near Newton Abbot, with an end product approved to be used in gardens. Chairman Cllr Jayne Hill said she thought the idea was good and it would give evidence as to whether a fortnightly collection would work. Cllr John Hockridge said a lot of people in rural areas would not be happy with fortnightly collections. ?It is the only service they get,? he said. Director for the environment Nick Payne said members had made it extremely clear that they were unhappy with a fortnightly collection. ?We are now keeping our options open and it will help formulate whether we take food out of the current weekly collections. There may be good reasons to look at alternatives for the rest,? he said. Clr Ted Sherrell said he had no problem with the trial but said there would never be a situation where there would not be a need for a weekly collection. ?In an ideal world everyone would separate out the food waste, but some will separate out some and others won?t bother at all. ?It will increase the vermin and flies and healthwise is bound to be a risk. You can?t force people to divide it out,? he said. ?There is pressure from above, but I don?t think it is right to go to alternate weeks.? Cllr Roger Mathew asked that households that had little room for so many receptacles be included in the trial . ?I would like to be sure we get information concerning the practicalities,? he said. A decision on the funding bid enabling the trial to go ahead is expected imminently. l West Devon?s garden waste and card collection service will continue as usual throughout the winter months, residents were this week assured. New calendars giving the dates of the borough?s service are being delivered shortly ? in the meantime, residents are being encouraged to stick to the normal fortnightly cycle.
