Residents in southern Oxfordshire who recycle food and garden waste will benefit from extra help in the next few weeks.
Hallowe’en usually means lots of leftover pumpkins at the start of November. Any that can’t be used in cooking or composting can be collected by the bin crews if left next to the food waste bin.
The pumpkins, like other food waste recycling, is taken to a processing centre in Oxfordshire where it is transformed into fertiliser and green electricity.
Extra garden waste
Residents across southern Oxfordshire who are signed up for brown bin collections can put out twice as much garden waste during extra garden waste weeks next month.
Crews will collect the equivalent of one extra bin’s worth of garden waste (around three large bin bags) during the following weeks:
- week commencing 11 November – Vale of White Horse
- week commencing 18 November - South Oxfordshire
Residents should leave their extra garden waste out in bin liners or sacks beside their brown bins on their usual collection day during these weeks. Trade waste bags cannot be accepted.
Cllr Jenny Hannaby, cabinet member for environmental services Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “After the fun of Hallowe’en many people use pumpkins in cooking and composting but if they cannot be used in this way they can be easily recycled by leaving them out with their food waste bins. Residents can recycle all leftovers, raw or cooked. But we’d urge them not to put food in the recycling as it can contaminate a whole lorryload.”
Cllr David Rouane, cabinet member for environmental services at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “At this time of year, people are clearing their gardens ready for winter so the council’s pleased to offer them the option of recycling extra garden waste. This goes to make compost for local farms.”
Notes to editors
Food waste recycling is a free service from both South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils. If anyone has not already received an outside food waste bin from the councils please contact their waste contractor Biffa on 03000 610610.
Residents can sign up to the garden waste collections, which is a paid-for service by calling 01749 341247 or email [email protected]
*Residents can find recipes for leftover pumpkins on the Love Food Hate Waste website
