Bromley Council's recycling projects officer, Sarah Pass

LAST year 300,000 residents in the borough produced a total of 143,996 tonnes of waste with 55,774 tonnes of this going to landfill.

The council is keen to cut this dramatically, especially as the Government is increasing Landfill Tax steadily each year.

From last April to March this year, the council had to pay £1.34m tax on the rubbish, with each tonne being taxed at £24.

In the next financial year the tax will be £32 a tonne, the year after it will rise to £40 and to £48 a year after that.

To tackle the rubbish problem, the council has been looking at different ways to encourage more recycling.

Bromley Council portfolio holder for environment and leisure Councillor Colin Smith said: "Most people want to do more."

A trial has been under way covering 6,000 homes.

In different areas they have been piloting various types of containers and combinations of waste to be collected.

Some people were given small caddies to go in the kitchen for all food waste - whether it is cooked, processed, junk food or bones.

Other households have brown wheelie bins which can take garden waste as well as food.

The homes have also been given black boxes for paper.

The council's recycling projects officer, Sarah Pass, said: "We have had nothing but good comments from residents.

"It's making people see how much food they are throwing away, all the money they are throwing away."

In the trial area, which covered parts of West Wickham, Shortlands, Beckenham and Bromley Common, the percentage of rubbish collected which was not put into one of the recyclable collections fell by 22 per cent.

The rubbish is collected in a tailor-made truck which has different sections to keep the waste separate.

The waste is compressed in the vehicle and is then transported to a waste transfer station at Waldo Road, Bromley, before being transported out of the borough to be processed.

There, the food waste is incinerated and turned to compost.

Plastics, glass and paper can be broken down and re-used.

Some of the residual waste will then be incinerated but part of this will still go to landfill sites.

The trial has been running since August last year and councillors have already taken on board some of the lessons learnt.

Cllr Smith said: "There are no plans to have a food waste collection for flats. The trial has indicated it's not working at this stage."

Resident Barrie Webb praised the scheme.

The 71-year-old, of Gravel Road, Bromley, said: "It's an excellent service.

"Janet, my partner, mowed the lawn. We just put it in the wheelie bin instead of me having to take it to the tip.

"She put some cooked chicken in the bin which was left over, otherwise it would have had to go in the normal bin.

"If it's used for recycling, it's even better."

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