From: Packaging News

A brown bin pilot scheme in Sligo, Ireland, has resulted in near total eradication of non-compostable material and packaging waste.

Bruton (second from left) at the launch of the Sligo report
Launched 12 months ago featuring Novamont’s Mater-Bi compostable liners, the national Pilot scheme of the Brown Bin education involved waste advisors going door to door, kitchen caddies and compostable liners to householders, to see if it could improve the amount and quality of food waste in the Brown Bin.

By the end of the initiative, the amount of food being recycled from Sligo households more than doubled and at the same time, the amount of non-compostable material (plastic, metals, glass) found in brown bins was slashed from 18% to 1%.

Launching the report, Irish Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton TD, said “This pilot project confirms that there are real gains to be made in using the brown bin correctly and has identified some really practical steps which could be useful for other towns to adopt.”

Tony Breton, market specialist – UK & Ireland, said the company helped to design a project looking at ways to address the problems of low public participation in the brown bin schemes, low collection rates for food waste

“The results, which in summary saw a doubling of participation, significant reductions in the food waste being sent to landfill in the black bin and contamination almost eliminated demonstrate how these relatively simple and low cost tools can dramatically improve an organic waste service.”