The new trucks come after the council launched separate weekly food waste recycling collections throughout the borough
Waltham Forest Council has rolled out a fleet of new food waste recycling trucks.
According to the council, these vehicles are more fuel-efficient and produce lower emissions, contributing to the borough’s carbon reduction targets.
Councillor Clyde Loakes, deputy leader and cabinet member for climate and air quality, stated that these trucks will help reduce overall carbon emissions and support the council’s climate change efforts.
He said: “Keep your eyes peeled as the first of our brand new food waste recycling trucks will be hitting your streets.
“I’ve had the privilege of seeing these fantastic designs in person and I know you’re going to love them, so keep a look out for the two trucks.
“They are here to help deliver our new food waste recycling service, which is easy to do and free to use. By taking the time to recycle even more, together, we are helping to make Waltham Forest a greener place as we aim to become a zero-waste borough. Thank you for your help.”
The introduction of the new fleet comes after a shift in waste collection services. In July, the council implemented a separate weekly food waste collection service, which has received mixed reactions from residents. While the initiative aims to increase food waste recycling, some residents have expressed frustration over the changes, particularly the reduced frequency of general waste collections, which are now bi-monthly instead of weekly.
Despite these challenges, the council says the changes are key to meeting its sustainability goals.
There will be 13 new trucks in total with five different designs: watermelon, banana, fish bones, pizza and carrot. Residents of Waltham Forest were asked to submit their suggested truck names for these new trucks with 800 suggestions coming in.
The council picked 13 names, with two (‘The Very Hungry Caddy-Filler’ and ‘So-Fish-Ticated’), going to a public vote.
Adelaide, aged 9, from Barclays Primary School, will see her suggestion ‘The Very Hungry Caddy-Filler’ printed on the side of a truck.
Reacting to her win, she said: “So, I thought that we might search through my books about food waste and I saw the ‘Very Hungry Caterpillar’. And I thought since it’s a food waste truck, what if we replace Caterpillar with Caddy-Filler? So, we got ‘The Very Hungry Caddy-Filler’!”
From the 2nd of September, food-waste caddies will be delivered to kerb-side properties in the south of the borough (E10, E11, E15 and some parts of E17). Collections will then commence from the 23rd of September.
For residents in the north of the borough (E4, IG8 and some parts of E17), caddies will be delivered from 23rd September, with collections starting from 14th October.
Residents living in kerbside properties will receive indoor and outdoor caddies to recycle their food waste, while residents in communal properties will receive indoor caddies only, as new communal food waste bins are rolled out.
For more information on the council’s waste management initiatives, residents are encouraged to visit the Waltham Forest Council website.
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