Council warning to Braintree district as waste food found

Braintree Council bin collection crews spotted the dumped produce while on collection duty across the district.

The images snapped by the crews show what appears to be fresh fruit and vegetables including carrots, potatoes and broccoli dumped in a garden waste bin.

On the same day, the crews also discovered crates full of discarded fresh bananas and pumpkins left beside food waste bins.

It prompted the council to issue a furious statement on social media which said: “What a waste! Our collection crews snapped these photos this morning on their rounds in Braintree district.

“We want to remind residents food waste should go in their kitchen caddies and green food waste bins and not co-mingle with garden waste.

“However, we would much rather this food was put to good use - we are thinking banana smoothies, banana bread, baked banana, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pizza base, casserole, or a veggie cottage pie.”

Following the statement, the council has also issued advice to residents to avoid causing food waste.

Richard van Dulken, operations and commercialisation boss at Braintree Council, said: “National research undertaken by WRAP states the current cost of food waste for a family with children is around £730 per year, and with the cost-of-living crisis affecting us all, there are lots of simple steps and tips we can all take on board and share.

 “Leftover recipes, using up vegetables to make a winter soup, making the most of your freezer, meal planning, thinking before you buy, sharing with neighbours and donating to a food bank or community fridge are just a few examples.

“For food that cannot be eaten, we encourage residents who have access to the weekly food waste collection to recycle their food waste correctly or by composting at home. 

“However, there is always room for improvement and if we all make a bit of extra effort, together we can make a big difference to reduce waste and save money.”