A COUNCIL is set to continue to provide residents with food waste bags for free.

The food caddy liners were first handed out to residents as part of the new waste collection system introduced in June.

The scheme sees rubbish picked up one week and recycling the next with only food and garden waste being collected weekly.

Now the council is set to approve plans to continue to provide residents with the bags for free.

A report set to go before the council’s community services committee said there had been a “dramatic” increase in people disposing of their food waste since the new rules.

Prior to June 25 per cent of residents participated in the food waste collection and in 2015 / 16 only 1,189 tonnes of food waste was collected.

Since the new rules there has been a 90 per cent increase in the amount of food waste collected, with predicted tonnage collected for 2016 / 17 at 2,100.

The report said: “There is a strong link between the provision of caddy liners and levels of participation in the service as proven by the various trials carried out by Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP).

“Maldon District Council is the first authority in Essex to use the much more cost effective plastic sacks for food and other local authorities are considering following our example which would be of benefit Essex wide."

The community services committee meets at the council offices in Princes Road, Maldon, from 7.30pm next Tuesday.