A third of all the food that we buy ends up being thrown away - whilst some of this is tea bags and fish bones, most is perfectly good food that would have been eaten.
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact details
Heads of the Valleys Waste Programme
Central Depot
Barleyfields Industrial Estate
Brynmawr
NP23 4YF
Tel: (01495) 311556
Fax: (01495) 312537
Email: Heads of the Valleys Waste Programme
Partners
Click on a logo to visit the Authority website
Did you know?
In Wales we buy, and then waste around £600 million on food that could have been eaten. That’s an average of £420 per household per year and for households with children it’s even more at around £610 a year.
By recycling your food waste you will reduce the amount of food in landfill sites. Rotting food in landfill produces methane gas which contributes to climate change and, as the cost of sending food waste to landfill is increasing, you will help the Councils and its residents save money too.
In Wales we throw away a staggering 410,000 tonnes of food and drink each year. 90% of us don’t realise how much food we throw away.
Current research suggests that about 40% (by weight) of the food thrown away that could have been eaten is fresh fruit and vegetables.
If we stopped wasting all this food, we could prevent enough carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each year that would equate to taking 1 in 5 cars off Welsh roads.
Wales produces enough waste to fill the Millennium Stadium every 20 days. Our greatest challenge is to see this waste as a resource. Everything we throw away contains valuable materials and the potential to generate energy.
Latest recycling figures
Recycling and composting rates from the partners:
- Caerphilly 44%
- Torfaen 43%
- Blaenau Gwent 29%
We understand that the development of any type of new technology represents change and that change brings with it questions. Below are answers to some the questions that you may have about the new technologies. If any of your questions are not answered, please get in contact with us.
Why do we need to build new facilities to treat our waste?
We should not treat waste as something that we throw away, but instead we should treat it as a resource. New waste treatment facilities will turn organic waste into a source of renewable energy. By building new facilities we can treat our waste in a sustainable way, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and help to secure Wales’ energy supply.
Why can’t we just continue to landfill our waste?
Landfill is not a sustainable option. Space is running out and it is very unlikely that we will be able to build more. The act of throwing our waste directly into landfill is a waste of all the raw material and energy that went into making the products that we use. Landfilling our waste also creates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that is 23 times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide.
When will the new facilities be built?
The timescales for the project are tight. We hope to award the contract in May 2012 and the facility will need to be built and operational by 2013/2014.
How big will the facility be?
This will depend upon the amount of waste that is sent to the facility.
What is anaerobic digestion?
Anaerobic digestion is used to treat food waste. The technology copies a natural process by using naturally occurring microbes to break down the waste, and this produces a source of 100 percent renewable energy. It also produces digestate which can be used as a fertiliser and soil conditioner.
What is digestate?
Digestate is a nutrient rich substance produced by anaerobic digestion that can be used as a fertiliser. Digestate is not compost, although it has some similar characteristics.
How will the partnership communicate with the public and key stakeholders?
The partnership is committed to delivering a structured programme of communication to ensure effective, timely and consistent engagement with both the public and key stakeholders.
Where will the facility go?
The Welsh Assembly Government requires the partnership to offer a publicly owned site which would be suitable for the facility. The project has undertaken a site selection and assessment exercise which has determined the most appropriate site which will be offered to bidders. It is not yet known if the site offered will be the final site of the facility as this will depend upon the chosen contractor.
