New campaign urges residents to recycle food waste

The council said it would also provide stickers as a "gentle reminder" to people

A local authority is encouraging its residents to recycle "every crust, peel and coffee ground" to help the environment and local farmers.

Reading Borough Council will give residents a free roll of food waste caddy liners over the festive season to encourage recycling.

Karen Rowland, the council's environmental services and community safety lead, said Reading was recycling less food waste per household than Bracknell Forest and Wokingham and this gave residents "no excuse not to start".

The council said all households and most flats in the Berkshire town already have access to weekly food waste collections but nearly 30% of general waste still consists of food that could be recycled.

Ms Rowland said: "Every crust, peel and coffee ground you recycle helps to create renewable energy and nutrient-rich compost used by local farmers.

"It's a simple way we can all do something positive for our community and the planet."

She said many local people were passionate about the environment but the authority would also be providing stickers to locals as "a gentle reminder" that food waste belongs in the caddy and not the grey non-recyclable bin.