East Riding Council’s compost giveaways have proved as popular as ever, with drivers queuing up at events to claim their free bags.
There were large turnouts at all nine giveaways held across the area the council’s waste and recycling team, with a total of 5,000 bags of compost being handed out.
Those who missed out are being reassured that more compost giveaways will be held in September, with the council saying that the second round is being held as an extra thank you to residents for keeping up their good work in recycling their waste.
All the compost given out is made directly from the garden and food waste that East Riding residents place in their brown bins for recycling.
The giveaways were held in May in Preston, Hornsea and Withernsea, as well as Goole, Carnaby, Pocklington, Brough/Elloughton, Driffield and Beverley.
Organised by the council’s waste and recycling officers, the events were a real team effort, with staff from that team, plus from the refuse, street cleaning, and grounds and forestry teams all mucking in.
Councillor Chris Matthews, the council’s portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said: “The waste and recycling team has been running the compost giveaways for several years and they are always very popular.
“It’s great that we can give even more back to the community by holding a second round in September.
“East Riding residents are some of the country’s top recyclers and it’s all thanks to them for continuing to recycle.”
Residents are being urged to take extra care this summer when using brown bins to recycle their food and garden waste.
Compostable caddy bags given out by the council – made from corn starch – are the only bags that should be placed in brown bins. No other bags are accepted, especially plastic bags.
Brown bins can be used to recycle grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, small branches, leaves, flowers and weeds, all cooked and uncooked food, peelings, plate scrapings, bones, bread, meat, eggshells and small amounts of soups, sauces and gravies – all of it gets collected and then transformed into compost.
