A new refuse collection vehicle is on the streets of South Kesteven to find the most efficient way to collect food waste across the district.

SKDC’s acclaimed food waste recycling trial is helping 4,000 households reduce the waste they produce while increasing the amount they recycle.

Food waste is collected for recycling using an adapted bin lorry, which has a special pod at the front to keep it separate from normal or recycled waste. But until mid-October a new smaller collection vehicle is being tested to assess options for new ways to collect food waste.

Cabinet Member for Commercial and Operations, Cllr Dr Peter Moseley, said: “We are exploring different approaches so that any future roll-out to different parts of the district is done in the most efficient way.

“Because new vehicle operates independently of the adapted lorry, changing the way we work may mean we can visit more houses each day. We will be interested to see how rural and urban routes vary, for example, because this change may suit some areas and not others.

“We would like to reduce the overall amount of waste we collect. Separating waste highlights what people are throwing away and can make a real difference in changing behaviour.”

The and will allow studies of collection methods and timings.

Households will still have their food waste caddy emptied weekly, and on the same day, but it will be emptied at a separate time, so they should check all their bins are empty before bringing them in.

Cllr Moseley added: “We are the first council in Lincolnshire to recycle food waste and will take our findings to the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership to explore ways in which we can work together with other local authorities on the most efficient process to meet future waste challenges.”

More than 390 tonnes of food waste have been recycled into electricity and soil conditioner since the Lincolnshire County Council-funded trial began last summer.

The project has enjoyed an uptake of 85% among households. In a recent survey by SKDC, more than 90% of respondents said they were recycling their food waste every week or regularly, with more than eight in ten doing so to help the environment.