FAMILIES in Oxford have welcomed the introduction of new city-wide weekly food waste collections.

From this week, bones, leftovers, tea bags and peelings can be thrown into a new bin for composting.

The service is being offered to households across Oxford following a successful pilot scheme – and Oxford City Council hopes it will dramatically cut the amount of rubbish sent to landfill.

The collected waste will be composted at a specialist processing plant at Ardley, near Bicester, before being used on local farms.

The scheme has been extended to cover 45,000 city homes but will not be available to residents in some blocks of flats.

Eligible households have been given a small kitchen caddy and a larger outside food bin with a lockable lid for collection, together with a limited supply of biodegradable corn starch liners.

Mother-of-two Jayne Harrison, 38, of Cowley, said her family was already making use of the new bin.

She said: “I think it is a great idea. It is probably long overdue in a city like Oxford that is thought of as quite green.

“We only started with our bin this week but it’s surprising the amount we have collected already.”

Father-of-one Richard James, 31, from Cowley, added: “I am absolutely in favour of it.

“If more food matter can be composted and stopped from being chucked into landfill, then that is all for the better.

“It’s no more difficult having an extra box to put food waste into.”

A trial by 15,000 residents launched in December 2009 reduced the amount sent to landfill by about 15 tonnes a week.

John Tanner, the council’s executive member for a cleaner, greener city, said: “I am thrilled that the city is now collecting food waste on a weekly basis.

“It is vital that we divert rotting food from landfill to help tackle climate change, to avoid government financial penalties, and to increase our recycling rates.

“Residents can opt out, but I hope most people will play their part in making this food waste collection a success.”

Residents who currently compost their uncooked vegetable waste at home are encouraged to continue, as that is the best environmental option.

They should use their food waste bin for cooked vegetables and other scraps.

Oxford recycles nearly 40 per cent of household waste and the city council hopes to increase that to 50 per cent by March next year.

The council is set to make further changes to its household recycling scheme in October, when all recyclable material – including glass, paper, tins, plastic and cardboard – will be collected from a single blue box or wheelie bin, emptied fortnightly.

For more information about how to deal with food waste and recycling, call the council’s City Works department on 01865 252900, email recycling@oxford.gov.uk or visit oxford.gov.uk/food-waste