Food Waste Recycling Survey
We'd like to hear your views on food waste recycling.
We’re currently working to improve food waste recycling for residents. We want to make it easy for you to recycle all your food waste - every banana peel, tea bag and leftover plate scrap can be recycled.
We want to hear your views on what works and what doesn't. And even if you don't currently recycle your food waste, we want to hear from you too, to see if there's any way we can support you to start.
Help us make recycling easier by completing this survey.
This survey forms part of our wider efforts to encourage food recycling, through the 'food's not rubbish so let's recycle it!' campaign.
By putting a sticker on all the Borough’s general rubbish bins telling residents to not to put food in there, Bexley residents are now being encouraged to recycle more of their food waste.
Recent annual recycling figures from DEFRA show that Bexley is doing well on overall recycling. But 30% of the waste that is currently going in general rubbish bins is food waste that could have been recycled in the Council's free weekly food recycling service instead.
These stickers and the wider campaign are a gentle reminder to use your free food box.
More information on food waste can be found at http://www.bexley.gov.uk/food-waste, including:
- The option to order a free food waste recycling caddy and a food waste box
- A useful list of foods which can be recycled
- Other frequently asked questions and practical advice.
Phases
Results
Thank you for sharing your views!
There were over 400 responses for our recent food waste recycling survey so a big thank you to everyone who took part! Your feedback is helping us understand what's working well, what challenges residents face, and how we can improve our food waste recycling service.
What you told us:
Many residents are already recycling food waste
More than half of residents who responded said they regularly recycle their food waste:
- 58.6% of residents in houses recycle food waste regularly.
- 51.6% of residents in flats recycle food waste regularly.
The most commonly recycled items include:
- Fruit and vegetables
- Eggshells
- Leftovers
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Meat and fish
- Bread
- Out-of-date food
What stops people from recycling food waste?
The survey identified several common barriers:
- Not having a food waste bin.
- Concerns about smells, pests and maggots.
- A lack of caddy liners.
- Uncertainty about what can be recycled.
For flat residents, issues with communal bin areas and bin locations.
More information would be helpful:
63.5% of residents in houses and 38.7% of residents in flats feel they have enough information, but many want more.
They would like simple leaflets, quick guides/stickers, clear signage (for flats), videos, and reminders.
Motivations to Recycle More:
- Fox proof and more secure food waste bins
- Free caddy liners
- More reliable and / or more frequent collections.
- Larger bins and more capacity
- Clearer information including knowing what happens to recycled waste
- Rewards/incentives
- For residents in flats: Cleaner/safer shared bin areas and convenient bin locations are also important.
What did residents think we should do to improve food waste recycling and increase the amount residents recycle?
- Free or improved caddy liners (current ones split or cost money)
- Fox-proof or more secure bins
- More/updated information on what can be recycled and environmental benefits
- More frequent collections and larger caddies for those with greater needs
- Solutions for maggots and pests
- Better management and cleanliness of communal bins in flats
- Incentives/rewards and, for some, enforcement measures
- Education campaigns, especially targeting older generations and non-digital audiences