Five Croydon schools to take part in food waste pilot scheme

Janie Stamford

Friday 27 January 2012 16:06

Five Croydon schools have been selected to take part in a 12-week school food collections waste pilot scheme, with a view to possible expansion across the borough.

Recycling in Croydon was stepped up last year when a domestic food-waste collection service was introduced in a bid to reduce the amount sent to landfill. Instead it is now collected and recycled into compost to be used in food production on farms.

Each of the five schools will be issued with seven- and 23-litre caddies, to be used in kitchens, dining halls, staff and common rooms. The waste will be collected weekly in 140-litre bins, taken to an anaerobic digestion plant and converted to agricultural fertiliser.

Part of the scheme is to assist schools with the educational aspects of the pilot, and the council's commercial waste and recycling team will conduct presentations and assemblies at each participating school, and monitor the results of the pilot.

Councillor Phil Thomas, cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "The food-waste scheme proved its worth over Christmas when we collected 525 tonnes of waste that would otherwise have ended up in a hole in the ground - and cost council taxpayers for the privilege.

"If we can get the kids completely behind the recycling message, they'll take that message home and help to educate those parents that are still not quite realising that we will all benefit."

The schools that have been selected for the trial are:
Parish Church Primary School, Warrington Road, Croydon
Monks Orchard Primary School, the Glade
David Livingstone Primary School, Northwood Road, Thornton Heath
Forestdale Primary School, Pixton Way
Westwood Girls' College for Languages and Art, Spurgeon Road, Upper Norwood

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By Janie Stamford

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