Greens step up campaign for food waste recycling
A senior Green Party politician was in Exeter yesterday to rally support for a campaign to press the local authority to collect food waste.
Adrian Ramsey, deputy leader of the Green Party, was in the St Davids area of the city to encourage residents to sign a petition calling for a weekly collection of food.
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Green Party deputy leader Adrian Ramsay (right) and local candidate Andrew Bell collect signatures for their petition in Exeter's St Davids ward
The Greens argue that weekly food waste collections would improve recycling rates, reduce waste disposal costs and remove the parts of waste that are responsible for bad smell, as well as rat and seagull attacks.
Andrew Bell, Green Party policy officer and candidate for Exeter's St Davids ward, said: "This clearly provides a solution to the concerns some city residents have about fortnightly bin collections.
"It will also have huge environmental benefits by reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill, improve the city's recycling rate and provide the potential to produce clean green energy.
"I hope residents in Exeter will sign our petition so we can show the city council the strength of support for this".
Adrian Ramsay is a councillor in Norwich, where weekly food waste collections have proved successful.
The Green Party says food waste collections could also be used to generate heat and power. A process for dealing with food waste, known as anaerobic digestion, creates methane gas which can then be used to generate electricity and heat. This can be used to heat and power community buildings or a network of households.
Nobody from Exeter City Council was available to comment yesterday
2 Comments
by Isaac_PS
Saturday, February 18 2012, 5:19PM
“Adrian Ramsey came by train and combined it with a visit he was already making to Bristol Green Party. We have already knocked on many residents doors to talk to people who live in Exeter and will be continueing to do so. Most people we have spoken to have been very supportive of the idea. The photo above is the one chosen by the Western Morning News out of a few taken by their journalist that day.
Isaac, Exeter Green Party”
by Cerberus2010
Thursday, February 16 2012, 12:32AM
“Can't be sure of course, but it looks very much like a student signing the petition. Have the Greens contacted any permanent residents for THEIR views on this?
Adrian Ramsay is a councillor in Norwich. Not very Green is it Adrian to travel all the way to Exeter, unless you walked or cycled, of course.
Just who is this NOBODY that yet again isn't available for comment? This implies that there is SOMEBODY that coud comment. Do they get paid when they are unavailable?”