THURROCK Council is to begin trialling a new food caddy system across the borough next month.

Five areas have been selected for trials of the system, which is believed to involve residents being given internal and external food caddies to store waste.

The outside caddys will then be collected and the waste dealt with in an environmentally friendly way. The trial will begin on Monday, 19 June.

Residents will initially be given one packet of compostible bags to line the internal caddys - but will then have to buy their own.

The pilot areas.

The food collection system is being driven by the government which has made it mandatory for all councils to adopt it by 2024.

The idea was backed by the then Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Minister George Eustice who said, when introducing the proposals in May 2021: "Separate, weekly food waste collections will stop the build-up of smelly waste that attracts flies and pests."

The full brief from Mr Eustice can be read here. Ironically, the minster also spoke of his vision to see the government promoting free garden waste collection.

He said: "Householders want more frequent recycling collections. Regular food and garden waste collections will ensure that they can get rid of their rubbish faster, at no additional cost to them.

"Our proposals will boost recycling rates, and ensure that less rubbish is condemned to landfill."

Thurrock residents, who have seen their brown bin garden waste collection axed, will no doubt find those words displeasing.  

Thurrock first started talking about rolling out the caddy system in 2021. It hoped to implement the system in 2022 but delayed it and then said it would be a key task for new senior waste management to undertake.

In July last year environment portfolio holder Cllr Andrew Jefferies said: "The deferment will help us to make sure that our plans are in line with government guidance, offer the best possible solutions to increase recycling rates long term and allow us to carry out exciting education projects in schools about the importance of recycling in the meantime.

"We had initially planned to make the changes highlighted in the ten-year Municipal Waste Management Strategy this September but with the government set to publish a range of guidance for local authority waste management later this year, we have decided to push back this date to make sure that our plans meet with new statutory obligations.

"Another advantage of waiting until 2023 to introduce the changes is that we will be able to access the Government's 'New Burdens Fund' which will cover the costs of the changes that we need to make to the household waste collection service, which will come as a result of the new guidance. 

The new caddy system will be trialled in parts of Stanford-le-Hope (Mondays), North Grays (Tuesdays), Tilbury (Wednesdays), Grays - Little Thurrock (Thursdays) and Aveley (Fridays).

Though affected ward councillors have been briefed, the council has made no public announcements yet and has not responded to a request from Thurrock Nub news for information.