Households across Fenland will have the opportunity to recycle more and free up space in their blue and green bins when a new food waste collection comes into force next year.
Earlier this year, Fenland District Council agreed to spend at least £1,061,991 on implementing a food waste collection across the area, with the money coming from central government to fund the move.
Cllr Steve Tierney, Fenland's portfolio holder for waste, says the weekly food waste collection is good news all round and hopes residents will embrace the new service.
It is being implemented due to new government legislation that legally requires all local authorities to introduce food waste recycling, and is due to come in across Fenland in spring next year.
Fenland has bought new vehicles to carry out the collections and will be providing every household with the necessary caddies for inside the house, and a small bin outside for all food waste.
Cllr Tierney explained that all food waste, from leftover baked beans and yoghurts to potato and other vegetable peelings, can be put in the new bins.
Bags will be provided to line the kitchen caddies, and they will be replaced weekly.
A report to Fenland's cabinet meeting in March explained that analysis of green bins/black bags found that food waste makes up 37% of the rubbish, and that each Fenland home creates almost 180kg of food waste each year.
"The new weekly food waste collection is a win-win. People will be able to recycle their food waste in a green-friendly way, the new system will free up space in people's green bins, and it will hopefully cut contamination of recycling items in the blue bins," said Cllr Tierney.
The council will be purchasing around 50,000 five-litre caddies for inside homes, and then 46,000 outdoor caddies with lockable lids. Up to 300 wheeled communal bins will be needed for flats.
Cllr Tierney said: "We propose starting by rolling out the new collections to the easier households - those homes with front doors.
"We will then look at how we are going to roll it out to communal homes, sheltered accommodation, and places like that, which are a bit more complicated."
He added: "The great thing is people can choose to opt out of the new collection; it is entirely up to them.
"But we hope that as many people as possible will use the collection, because there are so many positives to it.
"People always complain in the summer that due to the two-weekly collection their green bins get smelly because the food waste starts to rot. With this new weekly collection that is not going to happen any more."
Cllr Tierney also hopes that it will encourage people to think more about how they dispose of their recyclable tins, and plastic.
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He said: "People often put tins and containers in the blue bins that still have bits of food or drink in them. That can easily spread and contaminate the whole bin making the contents no good for recycling."
The recycling goes to a specialist plant where it is sorted. The council is paid for the amount of rubbish recycled, but if it is contaminated, then the waste just ends up in landfill, as it is rejected by the plant.
"Hopefully, people will empty what's left in tins and containers into the food waste caddies, and they will clean them before putting them in the bin. That way we can increase the amount that is recycled, and that will generate more income for the council to spend on services, and on keeping the Council Tax down."
Cllr Tierney said: "I just want to emphasise this is something Fenland District Council is required to do by law, it is not the council that has made the decision, but we have done everything we can to make it as simple as possible for people..
"I believe it is a positive move, and I really hope people feel the same way. But if they don't and they don't want to make use of the service, they can always opt out.
"We will be putting out more information to people over the coming months so that they are ready for when it is introduced."
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