Answer a question and win a recipe book

Recipe book giveaway marks food waste going borough-wide

Ealing Council is celebrating making its food waste collection service available across the whole borough by giving away 100 green recipe books to local residents. 'The Green Kitchen - recipes for a better planet' is full of ideas for shopping and cooking using seasonal produce. Produced in association with the Townswomen's Guild, it is a useful aid to cooking without damaging the environment.

To win a copy, you should answer the following question: Name one item of food which can be included for collection in the food waste collection service.

To enter, send your answer with their name and full postal address either by e-mail to recyclingteam@ealing.gov.uk or by post to Recycling Team, Ealing Council, Acton Town Hall, Winchester Street, Acton W3 6NE.

Entries should be submitted by Wednesday 28 June. The first 100 to reply with the correct answer will receive their copy during July.

The final roll-out of the food waste collection service takes place this week in Perivale, South Acton, Ealing Common, Hobbayne, Dormers Wells, and Greenford Broadway. The first collections of food waste in these areas will begin on 26 June.

Residents can check their collection day by visiting www.ealing.gov.uk or by calling Ealing Council customer services on 020 8825 6000.

Cllr Will Brooks, cabinet member for transport and environment, said,"Ealing is one of only a handful of local authorities in London to offer residents a free borough-wide food recycling scheme. Food waste accounts for about a quarter of all household rubbish and so with the final roll-out of this scheme we believe we can really boost our borough's recycling rates. By reducing the amount of rubbish that goes into landfill we can protect the environment and avoid hefty government fines, saving us all money."

The new service is now available to 95,000 homes in the borough. Residents are being encouraged to recycle their unwanted food waste including meat, fish, cooked and raw food, bones, vegetable and fruit peelings, dairy products, egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds.

To reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, people are asked to scrape food leftovers into a 21 litre bin, which has been designed to prevent spills and smells. It is also sealed against vermin such as rats and foxes.

Currently, around 24% of an average household bin in the borough consists of unwanted food. Instead of sending food waste to be buried in landfill sites, it will be converted into compost.

June 22, 2006