TEG will provide participants with a separate wheelie bin to be used exclusively for food waste, which it will collect on a designated day and transport to its state of the art commercial composting plants at Todmorden and Preston.  There, the food waste will be mixed with garden waste before feeding into TEG's Silo Cage composting systems.  The end product can then be used as a soil enhancer for agricultural and horticultural purposes.

The new service will cover Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Luddenden Foot, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax and Bradford but businesses within a 10 mile radius of any of these towns could be eligible to join the scheme.

TEG decided to launch the service after realising that many commercial food organisations such as restaurants, take-aways and food retailers combine their food waste with their general waste, which then has to go to landfill. TEG's Commercial Director, Jayne Pierre, explained how the scheme works:  "Any company within the designated catchment area that produces food waste is eligible to join.  We will provide either 240lt or 1100lt wheelie bins designated exclusively for food waste which will collected regularly."

TEG is expecting an enthusiastic response to the service as companies recognise the benefits of a more environmental approach to food waste.  Added Jayne: "Landfill taxes are due to increase dramatically this April the Government has stated that they will double by 2010. Removing food waste from the general waste bin and sending it for composting should prove a more cost-effective option than landfill for most companies.  They will also find that other wastes in their bin, such as cardboard and plastic, will stay clean once the food is being dealt with separately and so could have a positive value if recycled."

Companies requiring further information about the food waste collection scheme should call Jessica Stewart on 07825 426484.