A RECYCLING revolution will save money and the environment, according to the council.

From Monday, a new weekly food waste collection will begin in Castle Point, which will see residents’ mouldy bread, leftovers from dinner, old teabags, and much more composted and used for fertiliser.

The changes will mean pink sacks containing recyclables such as newspapers, bottles and tins, and black sacks, containing everything else, which will be collected on an alternating fortnightly basis.

According to Castle Point Council’s waste team, the environmental benefits of the change are two-fold.

Firstly, the authority sends almost 7,000 tonnes of food waste to Pitsea Landfill each year, which takes up valuable space.

Secondly, even when buried, rotting meat and mouldy veg produces methane gas, which contributes to global warming.

The new system will see all food waste sent to a composting facility and reused as fertiliser.

Furthermore, rubbish sent to landfill is taxed and it is hoped the changes will save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds each year.

Ray Howard, Castle Point Councillor for waste, said: “Sending waste to landfill is not only bad for the environment, it’s very costly.

“Our neighbours in Southend, Rochford and Basildon already have food waste recycling, and it is time we caught up with them.”

Residents have already been issued with two plastic caddies, a small one for the kitchen and a bigger locking one for the kerbside.

The smaller container is for collecting the waste, which can then be transferred into the outside caddy ready for collection.

All raw and cooked food can be recycled, with the only exceptions being pet food, fat and liquids.

Residents living in flats will not be part of the food waste collection for now.

Concerns have been raised about smelly items in black sacks, such as nappies, will now be left out for as long as a fortnight.

Mr Howard said: “People are understandably used to their weekly black bag collections, but I firmly believe there will be so little in the black sacks when you take out the food and recyclables, a weekly collection won’t be needed.”

Residents can contact the council on 01268 882200.