Join the food waste revolution in Somerset

Why recycling food waste matters

Together with our recycling and rubbish collections contractor, SUEZ recycling and recovery UK we are encouraging everyone to recycle their food waste. Let’s see how we can make a difference together. In Somerset we threw out 40,000 tonnes of food waste last year and only 21,000 tonnes of it was recycled.

Why recycle?

Did you know that 21% of the average Somerset family’s rubbish bin by weight is food waste? Food waste recycling is not only environmentally beneficial, but it is also cheaper for us to process.

Using the specially designed kitchen caddy can reduce smells, and it gets taken away more often.
Food waste get turned into something useful. It is used to generate electricity and fertiliser for farms.
Just one kitchen caddy of food waste can power a light bulb for more than 24 hours!

You might think you are a recycler, but…

This campaign is for everyone, you might think you are a recycler, but did you know that the average household in Somerset still throws away 56 kg of food every year. That’s the weight of a young teenager!

What is food waste and what happens to it?

Food waste includes both avoidable and unavoidable waste. Unavoidable waste includes the things that we would not normally eat like, peel, cores, eggshells and bones. Avoidable waste are things that could have be saved and eaten, such as plate scrapings, food thrown out in packaging and gone-off food.

Food that is collected from our food waste bins is sent to an anaerobic digestion facility near Bridgwater. Anaerobic digestion (AD) uses micro-organisms to break down food waste in the absence of oxygen, inside an enclosed system. The methane given off during this process is collected and converted to biogas and used to generate electricity, heat or transport fuels. It also creates nutrient-rich digestate used for fertiliser for agriculture.

Anaerobic digestion is not the same process as commercial composting, which is why compostable packaging is not accepted in your food waste collection.

How we recycle food waste

Meet our food waste recycling characters

Say hello to Benny the Bread, Patty the Potato, Nana the Banana, Charlie the Cheese, and Carrie the Carrot!

These fun and friendly characters are here to remind us all about the importance of recycling food waste. Look out for them in our social media posts, events, and libraries.

Benny the Bread

Benny says: Food recycling easy. In fact, it is right on your doorstep and does not take much time or effort.

Patty the Potato

Patty says: Just one kitchen caddy of food waste generates enough electricity to power a light bulb for more than 24 hours.

Nana the Banana

Nana says: Just one recycled banana skin can produce enough energy to charge a mobile phone twice.

Charlie the Cheese

Charlie reminds us that recycling food waste isn’t stinky…actually, it’s cleaner. Recycling is collected weekly, other rubbish isn’t, and so it will be taken away sooner.

Carrie the Carrot

Carrie says: 7 out of 10 households in Somerset recycle their food waste kerbside.

Join our story writing competition

We are on a mission to educate everyone about food waste recycling. To help our young learners we have launched a story writing contest in partnership with local author Ben Pulletz and his character Luna. Taking inspiration from our food waste characters, children are invited to write a short story (max 500 words) on the theme of why it is important to recycle food waste. The contest will be judged by Somerset Council, SUEZ, and Ben Pulletz, and we have fantastic prizes up for grabs!

How to enter

Write your story and email it to recycle@somerset.gov.uk by early September. Make sure to include your name, age, and the email address of a responsible adult. We can’t wait to read your creative ideas!

Prizes

7 to 11 category

Winner – £20 book token voucher and a copy of Luna’s book
Runner-up 1 – £10 voucher and copy of Luna’s book
Runner-up 2 – copy of Luna’s book

12 to 16 category

Winner – £20 book token voucher and a copy of Luna’s book
Runner-up 1 – £10 voucher and copy of Luna’s book
Runner-up 2 – copy of Luna’s book.

Contest Terms and Conditions

The Promoter

The promoter is: SOMERSET COUNCIL of County Hall, Taunton, TA1 4DY (“SC”).

The competition

The title of the competition is: The great food waste recycling journey.

To celebrate young recyclers in Somerset we are offering:

7 to 11 category

Winner – £20 book token voucher and a copy of Luna’s book
Runner-up 1 – £10 voucher and copy of Luna’s book
Runner-up 2 – copy of Luna’s book.

12 to 16 category

Winner – £20 book token voucher and a copy of Luna’s book
Runner-up 1 – £10 voucher and copy of Luna’s book
Runner-up 2 – copy of Luna’s book.

1. Introduction

These Terms and Conditions apply to the Somerset Council story writing competition titled ‘Luna and friends’ great food waste recycling journey’. By entering the competition, participants agree to be bound by these rules.

Children are to write short story (max 500 words) on the theme of why it’s important to recycle food waste

2. The Promoter

The promoter is Somerset Council (SC), County Hall, Taunton, TA1 4DY.

3. Competition Details

The competition is open from 00:01 on 10 July 2025 to 23:59 on 7 September 2025.

There are two age categories: 7 to 11 and 12 to 16. Prizes include book vouchers and copies of Luna’s book.

Entries must be original and not generated by AI. Incomplete or illegible entries will not be accepted.

4. How to Enter

Entries, together with a completed entry form can be submitted either by email to recycle@somerset.gov.uk or handed in at a participating library.

Entries must include the child’s name and age detailed on the submission, and a parent or guardian’s contact details. Entries may be handwritten or typed. Only one entry per person is allowed.

5. Judging

Entries will be judged by a panel from Somerset Council, SUEZ, and Ben Pulletz based on creativity and reader engagement. The panel’s decision is final.

6. Prizes

Each age category will have a winner and two runners-up. Prizes are non-transferable and may be substituted with items of equal or greater value. The prizes will be:

Winner and runner-up in each category.

Winner – £20 book token voucher and copy of Luna Explores Somerset by Ben Pulletz
Runner-up – £10 book token voucher copy of Luna Explores Somerset by Ben Pulletz
Runner-up 2 – copy of Luna Explores Somerset by Ben Pulletz

7. Winner Notification

Winners will be contacted using the contact details provided on the entry form. Results will be published on www.somerset.gov.uk/waste and Somerset Council Waste Services Facebook page by 7 October 2025. If a winner cannot be contacted within 20 days of the panel decision being announced, an alternative winner may be selected.

8. Eligibility

Employees of Somerset Council Waste Services and their families are not eligible.

The competition is open to children aged 7 to 16 on the date of their last birthday who are residents of Somerset at the time of submitting their application.

9. Intellectual Property

Entrants retain ownership of, and all moral rights in their stories but grant Somerset Council a non-exclusive, economic right and worldwide license to use, publish, and display the entries for promotional and educational purposes.

10. Data Protection

Personal data will be processed in accordance with Somerset Council’s privacy policy. Only first names and ages will be published. Full details of the policy are available at www.somerset.gov.uk/privacy.

11. General

Somerset Council reserves the right to amend or cancel the competition if necessary. These terms are governed by English law and subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England.