North Yorkshire's New Carbon Cutting Food Waste Collection Continues To Be Delayed

Saturday, 3 June 2023 06:30

By Charlie Hopper

The scheme to introduce food waste collections in North Yorkshire will continue to be delayed due to the lack of clarity surrounding the costs involved.

The Government wants separate household food waste collections, across the country by 2025. The measure is seen as a good way of reducing carbon emissions and over half of the country's local authorities already collect food waste separately as it significantly improves recycling rates.

Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Finance & Resources - Gareth Dadd - believes that, although the scheme is a good thing, delaying it is the right thing to do.

North Yorkshire is being consent to delay the introduction of the collections until at least 2043 due to costs and being tied to long term contracts for waste collection.

North Yorkshire Council's Executive Member for Managing our Environment - Councillor Greg White - says that he hopes the scheme can be introduced as soon as possible.

By collecting food waste separately, the council could increase the amount that can be converted into green electricity using an anaerobic digester. The delay would mean the carbon equivalent of an extra 18 million kilometres of diesel car emissions every year.