Did you know that 70% of food waste in East Ayrshire is being put in our household waste bin instead of our food recycling bin?
Armed with these statistics, we are on a mission to ensure all of the food waste we do have is recycled correctly as part of our new food waste recycling at home initiative Dinnae forget your Caddy!
Twenty-five East Ayrshire early years centres, primary and secondary schools have taken on the challenge to raise awareness of the food items that can be recycled, and encouraging more families across East Ayrshire to recycle their food waste at home. This will take place between February and June 2024.
Participation in this programme will encourage all of our young people and families to:
What’s involved
Early years and primary schools
You can:
- name your family’s kerbside caddy
- recycle your food waste at home, present your caddy for collection each week and enter your school recycling monthly prize draw
- complete Cairey’s Challenge by finding a Caddy Buddy
- help to raise your Community Caddy Count
Secondary schools
You can:
- recycle your food waste at home and present your caddy for collection each week
- create your own school campaign to encourage families and residents in your local area to recycle their food waste and present their caddy for collection each week
- help to raise your Community Caddy Count
How it works
Community caddy counts
Can you recycle your food waste each week and help raise your Community Caddy Count?
These are our Community Caddy Counts for January 2024, Week 1:
- Altonhill and Longpark: 49%
- Auchinleck: 35%
- Beansburn: 40%
- Bellfield: 42%
- Bellsbank: 35%
- Bonnyton: 60%
- Caprington: 34%
- Catrine: 35%
- Crosshouse: 55%
- Cumnock: 34%
- Dalmellington: 38%
- Dalrymple: 49%
- Darvel: 41%
- Drongan: 40%
- Dunlop: 56%
- Fenwick: 38%
- Galston: 50%
- Grange: 45%
- Holmhead: 46%
- Hurlford: 46%
- Kilmaurs: 60%
- Knockinlaw: 49%
- Lugar and Logan: 24%
- Mauchline: 52%
- Moscow: 62%
- Muirkirk: 39%
- New Cumnock: 40%
- New Farm Loch: 51%
- Newmilns: 57%
- Ochiltree: 47%
- Onthank: 43%
- Patna: 34%
- Rankinston: 10%
- Riccarton: 25%
- Rural areas: 51%
- Shortlees: 41%
- Sorn: 36%
- Southcraigs: 63%
- Stair: 58%
- Stewarton: 57%
- Kilmarnock town centre: 46%
- Wardneuk: 87%
- Waterside: 39%
Monitoring food caddies
We will begin monitoring the number of food caddies presented for collection from Monday 5 February 2024, and continue this throughout term three and four.
Updates on progress
In mid-June 2024, we will again share how many caddies are recycled in your area. This is your Week 16 Community Caddy Count.
To find out more about Dinnae forget your Caddy and keep up-to-date with our progress, visit our Dinnae forget your Caddy Thinglink.
You can also follow top tips and updates on X (formerly Twitter).