News

Market traders and Recycle Now join forces to get the nation composting

08 March

“A bag of apples, two bananas and some compost tips, please”

Market traders up and down the country are to back a drive to get Britain composting, as research from WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) reveals that we throw away 1.7 million tonnes of fruit and vegetable scraps each year that could have been composted at home.

The partnership between Recycle Now and the National Market Traders’ Federation launches today at Queen’s Market in Newham and will roll out across the UK over the next few months.  From today, traders will be offering green tips to their customers along with their purchases, to encourage them to compost household waste such as fruit and vegetable peelings, instead of throwing it away.

Research shows that over forty percent of us believe that because food is biodegradable, it is harmless when it gets thrown out and sent to landfill. However in landfill, this waste can produce methane, a powerful global warming gas which damages the environment. The same waste composted at home produces no methane and provides free fertiliser and soil improver that helps vegetables, shrubs and flowers to grow.

What’s more, there is confusion about what can and can’t be composted. An online poll showed that over a quarter (27%) of us are unaware that egg shells can go in the compost bin, and almost a quarter (24%) of us don’t realise that orange peel can be composted alongside other fruit and vegetable waste. Over 20 percent of respondents think you can compost cooked meat (22%), seafood (23%) or dairy products (21%), however this is not recommended in a standard domestic compost bin.

Doreen McIntyre, from Recycle Now, said: “Many of us are unaware just how much of our food waste can be composted and end up benefiting our plants rather than going to landfill.  I always ask for my veg with the leaves left on so I don’t miss out on some extra compost fodder.  And with so many composting options available, anyone with outside space should be able to give it a go. It’s great that market traders will be passing on this friendly and useful advice to their customers.”

Joe Harrison, Chief Executive of the National Market Traders Federation said: “Market traders are at the core of many communities and we are renowned for making our voice heard. Equipped with this information and advice, we can help the thousands of customers we serve every day to get the most from their produce and help the environment at the same time. It’s the kind of bargain deal market traders are famous for.”

Julie Lightly, a fruit and vegetable market trader at Queen’s Market said: “It’s great that we are now talking to our customers about composting. At Queen’s Market we already talk to customers about other green issues such as recycling, so this is a natural progression. I am sure customers will really warm to the advice we will be giving as many are already very interested in helping to do their bit for the environment. We hope to turn our market into the greenest in the country and show other markets and their traders how simple it is to offer our customers a little bit extra.” Click here to see a video of this event.

Over 435 million trips are made to the UK’s markets every year, and around one in five markets have reported an increase in shopper numbers since the start of the economic turndown in September 2008. People say that the reasons they choose to shop at their local market are because they enjoy the market environment (23%) and like to support local business (35%).

Anyone wishing to find out more about composting and how to get started should visit www.recyclenow.com/compost or call our infoline on 0845 600 0323.