RESIDENTS in Castle Point have recycled more food waste than expected in the first two months of the scheme.

The council collected 881 tonnes of food and garden waste in July, and 883 tonnes in August.

When you take out the amount of garden waste collected, it means 451 tonnes of leftovers and vegetable peelings were collected in July, and 535 tonnes in August.

Under the new scheme, launched on July 1, leftovers and other food waste are collected once a week.

Pink sacks, containing recyclables such as newspapers, bottles and tins, and black sacks, containing everything else, will be collected on an alternating fortnightly basis.

Ray Howard, Castle Point councillor for waste, said he was expecting to see the amount collected rise further now the summer holidays had finished.

He said: “I am delighted. July and August are two funny months because a lot of people are away on holiday. September is the one when I’m looking forward to seeing an increase.

“People don’t want to see food waste go to landfill. The cost of taking it to landfill would be £56 a tonne, then we have to pay Veolia, which owns the landfill, per tonne. It is quite expensive.

“The scheme is doing a tremendous job for the environment and saving money.”

The authority sends almost 7,000 tonnes of food waste to Pitsea landfill each year, which takes up valuable space and costs the taxpayer money.

Even when buried, rotting meat and mouldy veg produce methane gas, which contributes to global warming.

The new system will see all food waste sent to a composting facility and reused as fertiliser.

The council expects to be adding collections from flats to the food waste recycling service before Christmas.