St Loyes to get food waste collection

Exeter's rollout continues, slowly

Another part of Exeter will get food waste collections later this month, as the council continues its gradual rollout across the city.

Properties in the St Loyes ward will receive new caddies this week. Collections will begin in the week commencing Monday 23 January.

The first phase of the scheme began in 2021, with 1,300 properties in Alphington receiving weekly food waste collections. The rest of Alphington and 2,000 properties in Beacon Heath and Pinhoe were added last year.

Exeter City Council says other areas will join “as and when vehicles, drivers and containers are available and this will be dependent on the supply chain which is currently an issue across the UK.”

But the speed of the rollout has been criticised by some councillors, with opposition leader Diana Moore (Green, St David’s) recently lamenting what she believes are “excuses,” calling instead for improved leadership, discussions with unions and to look into greater council collaboration.

Speaking in October, she slammed the city’s recycling rate of 25.5 per cent – the worst in Devon – as “appalling,” adding it was doing a “real disservice to Exeter because it’s ruining our reputation.”

Currently most food waste in Exeter isn’t recycled and goes in with general ‘black bin’ collections which are then sent to the city’s energy from waste plant at Marsh Barton.

Once the initiative is rolled out across the whole city, the council expects Exeter’s recycling rate to “see a dramatic increase, as organics, including food waste is 38 per cent of a typical black bin in the latest 2022 analysis for Exeter.”

It adds that it “encourages people to only buy what they are likely to consume” and is currently the best performing of all Devon’s district councils when measured by the least amount of waste per person.

Each new household on the food waste rollout in St Loyes will receive a 23-litre kerbside caddy as well as a five-litre grey kitchen caddy.

Once collected, the food waste is sent to be turned into soil improver while also generating gas and electricity.

Councillor Ruth Williams (Labour, Mincinglake & Whipton), executive member for recycling and waste management, said: “It’s great to be adding more properties to the food waste roll-out.”

But she warned the addition of other areas is “ongoing” and “dependent on the availability of special food collection vehicles, drivers and domestic food waste containers, as well as expansion of capacity to hold waste at our site at Exton Road prior to transportation for anaerobic digestion.”

“I’d like thank people across the city for being patient with us for this,” Cllr Williams added. “It’s great to be adding more properties but this will take time as it is a big undertaking for the whole of the city – and we will be in touch about when your street is about to be added to the roll-out.”