Food waste collection for all home in Wimbledon by end of 2012

Food waste collections will cover all homes in Merton by the end of the year, promise the council.

Currently the Merton Council collects food waste from 50,000 properties across the borough, following a successful pilot launched in 2009. After positive feedback from residents benefiting from the collection, the council is to push forward with increasing the provision of this service to the rest of the borough.

The remaining 32,650 households, including flats, in Merton will now be able to take advantage of the service, with funds obtained from a successful bid to the London Waste and Recycling Board that resulted in securing funding of up to £292,770.

It's estimated that the 32,650 homes added to the scheme will contribute an estimated 1,800 tonnes of food waste.

By extending the food waste collection services, Merton is also set to reduce its landfill tax burden by over £100,000.

Merton Council cabinet member for environmental sustainability and regeneration, Councillor Andrew Judge, said: "The positive feedback from households who already use the food waste collection service demonstrates that our high quality service helps households reduce their landfill waste.

"Composting food waste means we're reducing the amount that would otherwise be sent to landfill, making significant savings and good use of a valuable product at the same time. The service will also lead to cleaner streets by reducing the amount of black refuse bags put out for collection."

Conservative councillors have welcomed Labour's decision to roll out the food waste recycling programme to all homes in Merton this year, but say the council has been slow to act.

Cllr Henry Nelless, the Conservatives' Environment Spokesman said: "Well, Labour had to do something right eventually when it came to recycling and street cleaning!  Let's not forget however that they are using money from Boris Johnson to pay for the scheme and stealing local Conservative ideas to progress it.

"There is no original Labour thought in this at all, but the benefits for those residents who will now finally get food recycling will be great. Labour have clearly been forced to act given the appalling results from the latest Annual Residents Survey in areas of refuse collection, recycling facilities and street cleaning. It is better late than never."