Oxfordshire residents can collect a free roll of food waste caddy liners this December, thanks to a county-wide initiative aimed at helping households manage the additional food waste generated over the festive season.
The giveaway, organised by Oxfordshire County Council, will run throughout the month while stocks last and is available at local libraries across the county.
All households in Oxfordshire receive weekly or fortnightly food waste recycling collections through their district councils, with Oxfordshire County Council responsible for arranging the recycling process.
Last year, the county recycled more than 25,000 tonnes of food waste. However, the council estimates that a similar amount still ends up in non-recyclable refuse, representing both an environmental setback and a significant financial cost.
If all food waste currently thrown away were instead recycled, the council calculates it could save around £3 million each year. With Christmas typically bringing a sharp rise in peelings, leftovers and unavoidable scraps such as bones, the council hopes the free liners will make recycling easier for households at the busiest time of year.
Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said the initiative is designed to support residents and encourage consistent recycling habits.
“No one wants to waste food. But where that’s not possible and for inedible food waste, such as potato peelings and turkey bones, home composting or recycling it using the kerbside collection really help to reduce the impact of waste disposal on the climate,” she said.
“That’s why we are giving Oxfordshire residents caddy liners again to make it easier for them at a time when food waste is likely to increase significantly. Reducing the amount of food waste that ends up in general rubbish could save the council millions of pounds – money that would be better spent on other projects to improve people’s lives.”
While non-recyclable waste in Oxfordshire is already converted into energy rather than sent to landfill, recycling food waste offers double the environmental benefit. The anaerobic digestion process used to recycle food waste not only generates green electricity but also produces a nutrient-rich fertiliser used by farmers across the county.
By encouraging residents to divert more food waste into recycling bins, Oxfordshire County Council hopes to strengthen both local sustainability efforts and county-wide climate goals.
