Volunteers collect food waste for composting

Food waste is being collected from restaurants around St Ives

Food waste is being collected from restaurants by volunteers for composting at a community orchard.

The new scheme, St Ives Community Composting, has raised funds for an e-bike that is being used to visit businesses in the town.

Volunteers go weekly to Foundation Coffee, Yallah cafe, 27 The Terrace restaurant and St Eia cafe and take the waste to St Ives Community Orchard.

Jo Riley, who set up the project, said the waste was a valuable resource.

Jo Riley, who set up the scheme, collects waste from several cafes and restaurants

"I think there's 10,000 residents in St Ives and Carbis Bay, but obviously we have a lot of visitors," Ms Riley said.

"The amount of food waste that we produce in the town is huge".

George Sims, from Yallah Coffee, said that until the scheme began, the kiosk's food waste was being sent to landfill.

"Morally, as much as anything, it's felt brilliant - we're giving to a compost scheme that is benefitting the local community," he said.

There is also a neighbourhood collection point and an arrangement with staff at Leach Pottery to drop off food waste.