Recycle More Food
Mid Devon has an ambition to cut waste and increase recycling. We know that many people don't recycle their food waste and instead add it to their black bin, but we are trying to change that. We want everyone in our district to recycle their food waste, whether that's through their home composting, or leaving food waste out for our kerbside collections.
As part as our drive to reduce food waste in black bins we are trialling a scheme to remind residents to use their food waste caddies.
If you don't already have a kerbside food container for your recycling you can order a kerbside food container now.
What are we doing?
In pilot areas we are monitoring food waste presentations over a consecutive three‑week collection cycle. This allows us to identify households that are not currently using the food waste recycling service. Targeted interventions—such as bin hangers and reminder stickers—are then delivered to encourage participation. Follow up monitoring is carried out to measure the impact of the interventions.
Why are we doing this?
Reducing food waste in the residual waste stream is vital for cutting waste‑management costs and lowering environmental impact.
Why this approach?
By identifying non‑participating households and delivering tailored, supportive interventions, we can engage directly with residents who may be unaware of the service or who face barriers to taking part. This targeted method allows us to focus resources where they are most effective.
How are residents being supported?
Residents are offered:
- A replacement outdoor food waste container if theirs is missing or damaged
All interventions include a QR code and a link to a dedicated webpage providing tips, advice and guidance to help residents overcome common barriers and use the service confidently.
We understand that many residents manage their food waste at home positively by home composting or feeding scraps to their animals. However, there are some challenging items of food waste that aren’t suitable for home composting or safe for pets. We still want to support these residents to use the food waste service, even if they feel they don’t have enough to recycle, by offering them a caddy or container.
What is the Food Waste Recycling Trial?
The trial is designed to encourage more residents to use their food waste recycling service regularly. It combines participation monitoring with targeted communications and practical support for households that may not currently be taking part. The project is drawing on research to better understand the barriers that can prevent residents from using the service.
How is the project funded?
The project is funded by the Devon Authorities Strategic Waste Committee and follows on from the successful pilot delivered in Teignbridge last year, in partnership with the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and Behaviour Change.
What are the bin hangers and stickers made from?
Both the bin stickers and hangers are made from polypropylene (non‑PVC) and can be placed out with your plastic recycling.