Be Mighty. Recycle - Let's get Wales to number 1!

26 February 2024

Here in Wales we're proud recyclers, and that's made us the third-best recyclers IN THE WORLD. But we want to do even better, so Powys County Council is backing the Be Mighty. Recycle campaign by Wales Recycles to help get us to number one! And the thing we're zooming in on: food waste. It's time to stop feeding our rubbish bins, save ourselves some money and create cleaner, greener energy instead. Who's with us?

Food waste comes at a cost

While most of us know that food waste goes in its own little caddy, and a WRAP survey revealed that 90% of us agree that it should never go in the rubbish bin, the fact is that a quarter of our rubbish bins are still made up of food. 80% of it could have been eaten, and the rest (the inedible banana skins, eggshells and such like) recycled into renewable energy to power our homes!

Not only does all this uneaten food add up to a whopping 110,000 tonnes going to waste a year - the equivalent of 3,300 double decker buses full - but it's also costing the average household £49 a month. That's right - by fighting food waste, you're giving your wallet a break as well as helping the planet! And with 75% of us worried about the cost of living at the moment, that's got to be worth doing.

"Whilst most Powys households recycle everyday items such as paper and card, glass, cans, plastic bottles and cartons, many are still not recycling all their food waste." Explains Cllr Jackie Charlton, Cabinet Member for a Greener Powys. "In fact, around a quarter of what's in the general rubbish bin is still food, all of which could be recycled easily in the food waste caddies.

"Powys people are already doing a great job at recycling, which is why we have any impressive recycling rate of over 68%, and food waste is where we can all easily do our bit and directly help combat the effects of climate change."

The good news is that it's easy for you to do at home. Set yourself the challenge of making your food go further by:

• Using up all the food you buy
• Recycling the bits you can't eat to create renewable energy

Here's how in two simple steps...

1.   Elevate your meals with remaining foods from your fridge

No matter how carefully we plan, sometimes the unexpected happens and we're left having to 'wing it' to make sure nothing goes to waste. See it as a creative challenge and use it as an excuse to level up your meals in record time!

For example, why not make an omelette even better by adding in meat and veggies that need using up, or create an even more epic cheese toastie by adding that last slice or two of ham? Over-ripe fruit works brilliantly to boost the flavour and nutritional value of your porridge, yogurt and smoothies, too. Delicious, healthy, quick, money-saving - you can't go wrong with that!

2.   If you can't eat it, recycle it

We all know that recycling plastic bottles and glass jars means they can be turned into new packaging, but did you know that recycling food waste helps create renewable energy?

Here in Wales nearly all our local authorities recycle food waste into cleaner, greener energy, and in 2023, we recycled enough to power over 10,000 homes!

Just one caddy full of food waste could create enough energy to power a household for almost an hour, so whether it's teabags, bones, banana skins or even mouldy, out-of-date food - no matter how yucky - it should all go in the food bin. Think 'food waste equals energy' and avoid 'ych a fi' by...

• Using a caddy liner
• Emptying it regularly
• Avoiding liquids

Giving it a good clean with detergent every couple of weeks

Follow these top tips and you'll find that recycling your food waste actually creates fewer smells and is more hygienic than putting it in the bin. It's easy to Be Mighty!