Food composting scheme to continue in High Peak

The food waste scheme is to be extended.

The Derbyshire County Council initiative, in partnership with High Peak Borough Council, involves distributing free compostable food bags to households so cooked and raw food waste can be separated from general waste and placed in their green lidded bins.

The scheme was trialled in 7,000 households in Glossop in 2017 and extended to another 7,000 households in Buxton in 2018. It will now continue for at least another six months and it is hoped to be extended to other parts of the High Peak next year.

High Peak food waste bag trial could be expanded to other areas

In Glossop, where the scheme has been running for over a year, the county council said 195 tonnes of food waste is being composted annually compared to 57 tonnes before the scheme started.

In the first five months of the Buxton trial 41 tonnes of food waste have been composted compared to 22 tonnes in the same period in the previous year.

Coun Simon Spencer, cabinet member for highways, transport and infrastructure, said: “It’s great that this trial has encouraged so many people to compost more of their food waste.

"I hope the figures continue to rise and we will be able to further extend the scheme to other households in the High Peak.”

The composted food waste is spread on agricultural land in the Buxton area, reducing the need for artificially produced fertilisers.