A household in Derry and Strabane could save £1000* a year by using all the food they buy
15 February 2024
Derry City and Strabane District Council and Recycle Now are launching a new campaign to encourage homes in the District to use all the food they buy and recycle anything inedible like eggshells, banana skins and tea bags. In Northern Ireland 80% of people recycle their food waste, which is great, but there is room for improvement. Latest estimates show that a third (30%) of the average Northern Irish rubbish bin is still made up of food, most of which could have been eaten (23%).
A household of four in Derry and Strabane could save £80 per month or £1,000 a year just by using all the food they buy. The best thing to do with your food is eat it. Items such as bananas, chicken, bread and potatoes are amongst the most wasted items. By throwing these away we are not only wasting money we are also damaging the planet. Think about cooking up some quick-fire easy recipes using these most wasted items. How about making a banana smoothie or a chicken fajitas? There’s lots more inspiration for making the most of the food you buy over at Love Food Hate Waste. For inedible items, make your food waste caddy your go-to bin. Even small amounts, like vegetable stalks, banana peels, onion skins, eggshells, chicken bones and coffee grounds, can be recycled. Most food waste in Derry and Strabane is collected together with your garden waste in the same outdoor bin. From there, it gets broken down and processed into compost and soil conditioner. In some councils, your food waste goes to an anaerobic digestion plant to create energy to help power your home. Council’s Waste Services Manager Nicola McCool said, “The importance of this campaign is getting as many people as possible within our District to first use the food they buy and then utilise their food caddy and stop putting food waste in the general rubbish bin. The resources that go into producing our food - the water; the transportation and the energy to chill foods from farm to factory and into our kitchens are also wasted when we throw food away. “We need to raise awareness of the cost to households and the environment of needlessly putting food in the rubbish bin. By using all the food we buy and recycling the inedible parts, you can save money and create compost and green energy instead.”
Recycling doesn’t have to be confusing. To find out more visit www.derrystrabane.com/recycling