EAST Cambridgeshire residents are filling a quarter of their rubbish bins with uneaten food or items within their sell-by dates. Now recycling officers are urging them to save money and the environment by shopping smarter and recycling food waste rather t

EAST Cambridgeshire residents are filling a quarter of their rubbish bins with uneaten food or items within their sell-by dates.

Now recycling officers are urging them to save money and the environment by shopping smarter and recycling food waste rather than sending it to rubbish tips.

Figures show that householders across the county throw away 156kg of food waste each year - 23 per cent of the total waste in their rubbish bins.

The UK as a whole throws away 6.7 million tonnes of food each year - equivalent to buying three bags of food from the supermarket and throwing away one.

Mark Shelton, Cambridgeshire County Council's waste policy manager, said: "Food waste that goes to landfill generates methane. Not only is this a potent greenhouse gas, but it causes long-term problems in the management of landfill sites, which are costly to the council and to council taxpayers."

He added that preventing even a small of waste going to landfill would leave more money to spend on other vital council services like teachers and care workers.