Wirral set to introduce food recycling

RECYCLING rates in Wirral are set to soar as Council announces proposals to invest in a new, weekly, household food recycling service for every resident. In a move that will also significantly reduce the environmental impact of our food waste, the Council is proposing to invest in a new weekly collection of leftover or unused food to be recycled and turned into fuel.  Cllr Bernie Mooney, Wirral Council Cabinet member for Environment, said:- "We have got a responsibility to do everything we can to improve and protect our environment. We committed to this in our Wirral Plan and we take that commitment extremely seriously. The evidence from looking at what we throw away in Wirral shows that almost 40% of rubbish that goes in the green waste bins is food, so by investing in a food recycling collection service we will significantly boost our recycling rate. That is the compelling evidence we have seen in every other area which has invested in a household food waste collection service. In Wirral, we estimate we need to reduce residual waste by 16,000 tonnes to help us achieve our challenging target of recycling 50% of household waste by 2020."

Cllr Mooney added:- "Perhaps more importantly, recycling leftover food is the right thing to do for the environment. Rotting food in landfill generates methane, which is a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide and which contributes to climate change.The food that will be collected in the new containers will be taken to a special processing plant in Widnes, which will result in it generating renewable energy and a nutrient-rich fertiliser that can be used to grow more food."

Residents will be given a small caddy to store in their home, a supply of liner bags and a small container for the bagged food waste, which can then be left out for collection every week alongside whatever other bin is due for collection that day. This proposal is contained in a report going to the Council's ruling Cabinet next week. The report sets out options for the future operation of domestic refuse collections and recommends that the proposals go out to public consultation before any final decision is made.

Cllr Mooney continued:- "We have come a long way in the last 10 years in Wirral with our recycling. Back in 2006, we were recycling 12% of all household waste. Now, our recycling rate stands at around 36%.However, we still have a way to go in order to get to 50% by 2020. This is not just an arbitrary target; it is a pledge we have made to residents and is also something we have to achieve by law or else we will be hit by expensive fines. It is also likely that the levy we pay for our waste disposal and treatment would rise significantly from the current £15.4 million each year. We have set out our proposals and the options for consultation we are excited about getting out and about in Wirral and having a conversation with residents about the best way forward."

In addition to the introduction of a food recycling service, the other major decision to be made is to how to adapt the residual waste collections accordingly.  The options for consultation are whether to replace the current green bins with a new, slightly smaller bin following the introduction of the food recycling service, or to move to a 3 weekly collection schedule for residual waste only. Consultation will begin in mid July for 6 weeks; full details of how residents can get involved will be issued nearer the time. Changes to collections will not take effect until 2017.

Firefighters free dog that took shelter in abandoned Wirral toilets after hearing claps of thunder

MERSEYSIDE Firefighters have freed a dog that took shelter in the changing rooms of an abandoned toilet after hearing claps of thunder. We are told that 1 Fire Engine attended the incident, which happened on Belvidere Field on Belvidere Road, Wallasey, just before 5.30pm, on Thursday, 16 June 2016. The 7 year old, Jack Russell, had run through 2 sets of railings and sheltered in the toilet block after peals of thunder broke out. Firefighters tried to coax the dog to safety after it hid in the changing rooms and refused to come out. They used a hydraulic door breaker to spread the railings to gain access to the dog, who was then reunited with its owner. We are told that the crew returned the railings to their original position and remained at the scene for around 15 minutes.