Green give-aways for West Berkshire residents

Back by popular demand, residents of West Berkshire can take advantage of not one, but two give-aways - free compostable food waste caddy liners to make recycling even easier and free soil conditioner to give your garden a boost. 

Compostable food waste caddy liners

From Monday 3 March to Monday 31 March, you can collect a free roll of compostable food waste caddy liners (while stocks last) from:

• All West Berkshire Council Libraries
• West Berkshire Council Office (Market Street, Newbury)
• Tilehurst Parish Council

This offer is only open to West Berkshire residents only, and we ask that you take one roll per household to give as many residents as possible the opportunity to collect a free roll. Proof of address or your library card is required.

If you're not already a member of your local library why not sign up for a free membership at the same time as collecting your liners.

Soil conditioner giveaway

We're teaming up with Veolia once again for a free soil conditioner giveaway!

Head to Padworth Integrated Waste Management Facility (RG7 4JF) on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 March, 10am - 4pm, to collect some nutrient-rich soil conditioner for your garden.

No need to book - just turn up! Simply bring proof of address (such as an ID card or a recent utility bill) to show you're a West Berkshire resident, and don't forget to bring your own bags, boxes, or containers. The soil conditioner will be provided loose, so you'll need something to carry it in. For safety reasons, all soil conditioner will need to be in containers/bags in vehicles. If you wish to visit the nearby household waste recycling centre you must still book an appointment.

This is a free event, and we expect it to be popular. There may be queues during busy times, so we appreciate your patience. We'll be restocking throughout the day, so there's no need to rush - there will be plenty to go around. To ensure as many residents as possible can benefit, please take a reasonable amount and be mindful of others to allow everyone a chance to enjoy this fantastic offer.

Restrictions will be in place for certain vehicles that will be able to access the site. No commercial vehicles will be allowed as this event is strictly for householders. Please check our Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) user guide (see page 12) for more details.

Safety first! You're responsible for safely carrying and loading the soil conditioner into your vehicle. The event organisers cannot accept liability for any injuries or damage while loading materials.

The soil conditioner is produced at Padworth's In-Vessel Composting Facility and is made from the food and garden waste that we collect from households within the district. Our most recent analysis shows that food waste still makes up around 20% of black bins. By recycling your food waste weekly it not only frees up space in your black bin but is much better for the environment.

Cllr Stuart Gourley, Executive Member for Environment and Highways at West Berkshire Council, said:

"We're delighted to again offer these two fantastic giveaways throughout March.

"These events have been incredibly popular in the past, and we hope more residents take advantage of them this year. Whether you're recycling food waste or enriching your garden, we're here to support you so don't miss out - make sure you mark these dates in your calendar and help spread the word."

Dave Matthews, General Manager at Veolia West Berkshire:

"Veolia is pleased to be partnering with West Berkshire Council for this sixth soil conditioner giveaway. This initiative is an excellent example of the circular economy in action with food and green waste from households being converted into soil conditioner for the community at our local In-Vessel Composting Facility in Padworth.

"The soil conditioner is peat-free, meaning peatlands that store carbon dioxide are not impacted as part of its production, which helps combat climate change and protect important environments. Residents can have a positive impact on local soil health and biodiversity by using this free soil conditioner in their gardens and allotments throughout West Berkshire."

For more information about food waste collections, please visit: www.westberks.gov.uk/foodwaste

Padworth Integrated Recycling Facility