Food waste can go into standard grey bins Pic: George D Thompson

A waste collection service branded as “obsolete” is expected to be canned.

Preston City Council‘s cabinet meets on Wednesday and could choose to end separate waste food collections.

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Around 15,000 properties currently have a smaller bin for food waste to be deposited in and be collected.

However, since 2010 the waste processing technology now means food waste can go into normal grey or brown bins.

Scrapping the food waste collections would save the city council – which needs to save around £3.6 million during the next three years – up to £86,192 per year.

Three roles would be lost as part of any stopping of the service.

Cabinet member for resources, councillor Martyn Rawlinson, said: “Obviously some people still use that service and no doubt some of those will miss it, but the landscape has changed since it was brought in.

“It’s a saving we need to make for budget purposes but it’s a service that has become, to an extent, obsolete. But it does mean for people without a garden waste bin they are only going to get food waste collected fortnightly once again.”

A council report says getting rid of the service, which began in 2005, could be an unpopular move.

Officers write: “Any decision to cease the inner Preston waste food collection service may be unpopular as this service is well received by those who participate in the scheme.”

They also warn the recycling rate in the city would drop by 1 per cent, as food waste is not classed as being recycled.

It approved, the food waste collection service would stop on February 28 2015.

You can read the full report on the city council website.

What do you think? Should the bins stay or be scrapped? Let us know in the comments below