inform-residents-newsletter-summer-2017 (3)

05 Transforming our waste Recycling and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill is good for the environment and good for ratepayers. We all need to consider how we manage our waste as every tonne of waste sent to landfill from your black or green bin has environmental, economic and legislative consequences. Your Council has demanding targets to increase recycling and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. Failure to do so will result in significant penalties which will affect the resources which could otherwise be invested in other services in your local community such as parks, leisure centres and community services. We are grateful to you for your continued efforts to recycle and reduce waste to landfill however, there is still a lot more to do and we urge you to recycle as much as you possibly can through the Council’s recycling facilities and initiatives. Rethink Waste funding The Council has been fortunate to have received almost £1 million of capital funding through the Rethink Waste programme, administered by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). This has been used to purchase five pod vehicles to collect food waste, kitchen caddies, compostable liners and 23 litre caddies for presenting for collection at the kerbside for each new household on the scheme. Further funding was awarded to promote the scheme. The Council is grateful to the Department for its support. Chairperson of Fermanagh & Omagh District Council, Councillor Mary Garrity with Owen Lyttle, DAERA (right), Kevin O’Gara and Anthea Owens, Fermanagh & Omagh District Council pictured with the new pod vehicles purchased with the Rethink Waste funding. Extension of food waste collection service for the district Food waste is currently collected from approximately 22,000 households across the district that are on the brown wheelie bin or the brown food waste caddy collection service. Under new legislation – the Food Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) - all food waste must be placed in your brown wheelie bin or food waste caddy. Food waste is not acceptable in your black or green non-recyclable household bin. To comply with this legislation and reduce waste sent to landfill the Council is extending the food waste collection service. We will be delivering food waste caddies to the remaining 24,000 households across the district over the next few weeks so that every household can recycle their food waste. Further information on this will appear in local press and the Council’s website, social media channels and Bin-ovation app closer to the time. Why do we need a food waste collection service? • Food waste disposed of in landfill is bad for the environment and is a cost to you, the ratepayer, that can be significantly reduced. Food waste is completely recyclable • As food waste rots in landfill it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas which contributes to global climate change. By recycling your food waste you are helping to reduce this damaging impact on the environment • Food waste makes up a third of waste that is currently disposed of in black and green household bins in the district. At a cost of £120 per tonne, putting food waste in your black or green landfill bin is a huge financial strain on Council budgets • In 2015 - 2016, 28,059 tonnes of waste was sent to landfill from the Fermanagh and Omagh district. By removing all food waste from landfill, the Council could make considerable savings per year. Austin Large, Recycling Centre Attendant, with donated unwanted usable paint which is available free of charge from seven recycling centres across the district for reuse by residents and community groups.