East Cambridgeshire residents have recycled almost 1000 tonnes of food waste in just 11 weeks, helping to reduce the amount of household waste requiring disposal by almost 40%.
The figures represent an impressive start for the district's new food waste collection service, which was introduced earlier this year as part of changes to household waste and recycling collections.
Since the launch of the service, residents have recycled 955 tonnes of food waste, with households recycling an average of 2.2kg of food waste every week.
This equates to around 114kg per household each year, placing East Cambridgeshire's performance at the upper end of levels typically achieved by some of the country's best-performing food waste collection services.
The impact has been significant. Over the first 11 weeks of the service, the amount of residual waste collected fell from 2,521 tonnes to 1,524 tonnes, a reduction of 998 tonnes (39.6%) compared with the same period last year.
At the same time, dry recycling increased by 9.5%, while the amount of food and garden waste collected increased by 23.1%, demonstrating a clear shift away from general rubbish and towards recycling and organic waste collections.
East Cambridgeshire already had one of the strongest recycling records in the country, with a recycling rate of 58.5% before the changes were introduced. However, the early results show residents have embraced the new service delivering food waste recycling levels that are significantly higher than originally forecast.
Councillor Anna Bailey, Leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "The results from the first 11 weeks have been exceptional. Residents have recycled almost 1,000 tonnes of food waste, helping to reduce the amount of household rubbish requiring disposal by nearly 40%.
"This is a fantastic achievement and demonstrates the difference local people can make when they work together to reduce waste and recycle more.
"East Cambridgeshire already had a strong recycling culture, but these figures show residents have wholeheartedly embraced the new service and are helping us exceed expectations.
"We're particularly encouraged by the amount of food waste being recycled. Food waste that may previously have gone into the general rubbish is now being turned into a valuable resource through anaerobic digestion, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate renewable energy.
"While some food waste is unavoidable, such as peelings, bones and eggshells, some could have been eaten if it had been used up, frozen or turned into another meal. Over the coming months we'll be sharing tips and advice to help residents reduce avoidable food waste, which is good for both the environment and household budgets.
"I would like to thank everyone who has supported the new collections. These results belong to our residents, whose commitment to recycling is helping make East Cambridgeshire an even greener and more sustainable place to live."
The council has also provided larger bins to more than 1,250 households with a genuine need for additional residual waste capacity, helping to ensure that the new service remains flexible and responsive to different household circumstances.
The council will continue working with residents to build on this strong start, helping to reduce waste, recycle even more material and make the most of the environmental benefits created through food waste recycling.