Ealing Council has defended its record on food waste recycling after damning comments from an opposition councillor.
Phil Taylor, Conservative councillor and opposition spokesman for transport and the environment, claims recycling levels in the borough have been falling while watched over by portfolio holder Bassam Mahfouz .
Mr Taylor told the Gazette: “Food waste recycling in the borough is stuck, falling even. Despite the protestations of Labour’s councillor Mahfouz at a recent council meeting, that he was ‘a champion of food waste recycling’, participation in food waste recycling has been stuck at around 43 per cent since Labour won power in 2010.”
He added that Mr Mahfouz’s own Northolt West End ward was third worst for food recycling in the borough, with only 28 per cent of residents taking part.
“Food re-cycling is key to pushing up recycling rates as food is so heavy,” Mr Taylor said. “It is also vital in the fight against vermin, such as foxes and rats. As soon as food waste is locked away in plastic boxes, the animals moves on. The borough needs to do better on food waste recycling, but it is not going forward with councillor Mahfouz in charge.”
Mr Mahfouz said: “Our record is clear. We are on course to have increased how much food waste we collect by more than 40 per cent by the end of this year, compared to the last year the Conservatives were in control of the council.
“That’s 6,000 tonnes by the end of 2013/2014, compared to 4,269 tonnes in 2009/2010. As chair of Recycle for London and in partnership with the West London Waste Authority, which I also chair, we ran an incredibly successful Love Food Hate Waste campaign, highlighted as an example of best practice which saw a significant drop in the amount of food waste placed in residents’ black bags as result.
“Recycling food waste is good for the council, but reducing the amount of food waste we all produce can save each household on average, £50 a month, so there is a massive financial incentive for residents to do their bit.
“That’s why we are rolling out food waste recycling to more and more households over the coming months, as well as putting in a bid to get more kitchen caddy liners so more people can do their bit.”
