New food bins are being delivered to Cotswold residents.

Stratford-on-Avon District Council has announced that food caddies for the new 123+ waste collection service will start being sent out from next Tuesday, April 19.

Residents in areas such as Shipston, Brailes and Long Compton will receive a small seven-litre caddy and a larger 23-litre food waste bin.

Councillor Ian Shenton, climate change portfolio, said: “Although the new food caddies are being rolled out this week, please be patient as residents won’t be receiving them all at the same time.  Delivery to all households is expected to be over a four-week period.

“The new food waste recycling service will make it easy for people to recycle their food waste every week. This will help remove any smelly waste from refuse bins and leaving more space for other rubbish.  I know this is a change from the current service and habits, but I am sure that residents will adapt positively to this part of the new service.

“It will also help people realise how much food they waste each week and hopefully act as a prompt to reduce avoidable food waste, such as making the most of leftovers, planning meals and creating shopping lists and storing food correctly.”

The 123+ waste collection service will launch on August 1 of this year.

Food waste will be collected every week to help prevent smells, while the larger food waste bin is designed to be stored outside and features a lockable lid to prevent vermin getting in.

Currently, food waste can be put in garden waste as part of the subscription service but as part of the new service, food waste will be taken to a different recycling facility.

There is no way to opt out of receiving the new food caddies and anyone who already has one and does not need a new one, can return it to the District Council offices in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Each year UK households waste 6.5 million tonnes of food

Councillor Shenton, added: “From August, we will no longer be collecting food and garden waste together – each will be collected separately. 

“It is much cheaper to compost garden waste if it is separated from cooked and raw food waste. Food waste has to be treated at much higher temperatures to kill any pathogens that could spread infections on farms.”

Click here for more information about the new waste collection service.