Festive recycling is top of the Christmas list for the council

East Dunbartonshire Council is urging residents to plan well for the party season and recycle any excess food. Statistics suggest that lots of the food we buy ends up being thrown away, costing the average Scottish household £128 a year.

The council launched its weekly food waste collections in 2013 and the service is proving extremely popular with residents. Over 50 tonnes of food per week is regularly collected with over 60 per cent of residents taking part in the service.

The council faces increasingly challenging recycling targets.Depute leader of the council and convener of neighbourhood services, Ashay Ghai, said: “Christmas dinner leftovers and all out of date food after the celebrations can be put in your caddy as normal, including bones and even turkey carcases. The only thing you should avoid putting in the caddy is liquids and oils.”