Latest news with #foodWaste
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
'Green' council's eco-bins cause donkey invasion of New Forest village provoking furious backlash
A rollout of eco-friendly food bins has been blamed for chaos caused by wild donkeys breaking into them to 'feast' on scraps - and spreading disease worries. Plastic caddies to recycle leftovers have been distributed to residents in villages across Hampshire's picturesque New Forest this month for the first time. Yet locals are now raising concerns about hazardous knock-on effects. There are concerns that livestock historically roaming free in the area - such as not only donkeys but also ponies and pigs - will find the discarded food irresistible. And now within just weeks of the caddies' introduction, donkeys have been spotted eating food out of the bins at locations across the southern English region. Photos taken in Brockenhurst, a large village in the national park, show several of the animals gathered around a toppled bin - tucking in to scraps strewn across the road. Councillors at the Conservative-controlled local authority running the rollout have admitted the new arrangements 'may take some time to get used to'. But local campaigners say the damage being done so far was 'exactly what we thought would happen' - and forecast even worse ahead. Posting photos of donkeys on Facebook, New Forest resident Gail Whitcher advised neighbours to keep their food waste bins inside their gates - as she described the scenes so far as 'chaos'. She urged: 'Please can people who live down Sway Road take their bins in and put their food waste bins inside their gates. 'The donkeys have knocked over the waste bins into the road and have had a feast all the way down the road on the food waste bins which I witnessed them opening. It's chaos.' There are thought to be about 200 free-roaming donkeys in the New Forest national park, all cared for by the Commoners - locals who have the right to graze animals. The animals are said to be vital to the area's ecosystem, yet have prompted worries. The Commoners have said they are worried that the roaming livestock could contract foot and mouth disease or African swine fever from the food waste and might prove to be 'extremely dangerous'. Their comments comes as New Forest Disirict Council pushed ahead with a contentious bin scheme that had been first approved in 2022. Under the £5.6million programme, food waste caddies have been delivered to residents in Brockenhurst, New Milton, Lymington and surrounding areas between April this year and this month. Posting photos of donkeys on Facebook , New Forest resident Gail Whitcher advised neighbours to keep their food waste bins inside their gates Andrew Parry-Norton, chairman of the New Forest Commoners Defence Association voluntary group, is among those alarmed by the impact so far. He said: 'This is exactly what we thought would happen and I think it is only going to get worse. 'If the donkeys start working out how to get into these bins then they will keep doing it and the diseases will continue to spread, which is just not fair on the animals. 'And it will only get worse in the autumn when the pigs come out as they really will eat anything. 'If the diseases spread then it could cost the farming industry, which is already in a tough place, millions if not billions of pounds to deal with. That is not an exaggeration. 'We are all for recycling especially as the area is so connected to nature but it needs to be done in the right way. 'We just want the council and other agricultural institutions to come together to create a solution. It's a different issue to that in urban areas. 'I believe that the bins need tougher locks that don't come open if the bins fall over and to be put out at the right time by the homeowners.' Mr Parry-Norton previously raised concerns at the Verderers' court, which 'regulates and protects the New Forest's unique agricultural commoning practices'. He said earlier this year: 'New Forest District Council is going to be supplying food waste bins for weekly collections - the advice is that these bins are left outside the gate and then residents top them up from a smaller kitchen waste bin. 'In the UK it is illegal to feed or allow kitchen waste to be fed to pigs. 'Not only could this a problem for pigs but also donkeys and ponies who will quickly realise this could become a potential food source. 'We, the CDA, ask the verderers to persuade New Forest District Council to retract their advice and request that these bins are kept on the residents premises where stock do not have access to it.' Households in the national park have each been given a 23l brown outdoor food waste recycling caddy and a 5l grey indoor food waste recycling caddy. The council said food waste is being taken to an anaerobic digestion facility where it would be used to create fertiliser and renewable energy. Jack Davies, councillor for Pennington and former mayor of Lymington, said his ward was being used as a 'guinea pig for the rest of the New Forest'. He told the Telegraph: 'The teething problems that we are having will be ironed out, but that is no comfort to us in the first phase as there are clearly issues. The new bins feel cheap.' Announcing the latest rollout earlier this month, the district council's portfolio holder for environment and sustainability Geoffrey Blunden had said: 'We're asking residents in the first phase of the new waste service to make the change of putting food waste into the caddies instead of the black sacks of old. 'Like with the sack service, food waste will still be collected every week, but crucially it will now be recycled and reduce what goes in the general waste bin.' The local authority said it was providing leaflets explaining what can and cannot go in food waste recycling, as well as a starter-roll of caddy liners. Cllr Blunden added: 'We know this is a new way of doing things and may take some time to get used to. 'Our collection crews will also be adjusting to collecting food waste for the first time, and new collection routes. 'By working together, it will make a big impact for our environment, our district, and future generations.' A New Forest District Council spokesperson said: 'Our new waste collection service launched in a third of the district two weeks ago, including a new food waste recycling service using caddies, and the introduction of wheelie bins for general waste and recycling. 'The move to bins and caddies is already leading to a massive improvement in street cleanliness. The previously used rubbish sacks were often ripped open by the free roaming animals, as well as seagulls, and foxes. 'We ask residents to store their food waste caddies within their property boundary, except on collection day, and to lock them using the handle. 'We appreciate the concerns being raised about animals accessing the food waste and are continuing to monitor this in the early days of the new service.'
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Green council's eco-bins cause donkey invasion of New Forest village provoking furious backlash
A rollout of eco-friendly food bins has been blamed for chaos caused by wild donkeys breaking into them to 'feast' on scraps - and spreading disease worries. Plastic caddies to recycle leftovers have been distributed to residents in villages across Hampshire's picturesque New Forest this month for the first time. Yet locals are now raising concerns about hazardous knock-on effects. There are concerns that livestock historically roaming free in the area - such as not only donkeys but also ponies and pigs - will find the discarded food irresistible. And now within just weeks of the caddies' introduction, donkeys have been spotted eating food out of the bins at locations across the southern English region. Photos taken in Brockenhurst, a large village in the national park, show several of the animals gathered around a toppled bin - tucking in to scraps strewn across the road. Councillors at the Conservative-controlled local authority running the rollout have admitted the new arrangements 'may take some time to get used to'. But local campaigners say the damage being done so far was 'exactly what we thought would happen' - and forecast even worse ahead. Posting photos of donkeys on Facebook, New Forest resident Gail Whitcher advised neighbours to keep their food waste bins inside their gates - as she described the scenes so far as 'chaos'. She urged: 'Please can people who live down Sway Road take their bins in and put their food waste bins inside their gates. 'The donkeys have knocked over the waste bins into the road and have had a feast all the way down the road on the food waste bins which I witnessed them opening. It's chaos.' There are thought to be about 200 free-roaming donkeys in the New Forest national park, all cared for by the Commoners - locals who have the right to graze animals. The animals are said to be vital to the area's ecosystem, yet have prompted worries. The Commoners have said they are worried that the roaming livestock could contract foot and mouth disease or African swine fever from the food waste and might prove to be 'extremely dangerous'. Their comments comes as New Forest Disirict Council pushed ahead with a contentious bin scheme that had been first approved in 2022. Under the £5.6million programme, food waste caddies have been delivered to residents in Brockenhurst, New Milton, Lymington surrounding areas between April this year and this month. Andrew Parry-Norton, chairman of the New Forest Commoners Defence Association voluntary group, is among those alarmed by the impact so far. He said: 'This is exactly what we thought would happen and I think it is only going to get worse. 'If the donkeys start working out how to get into these bins then they will keep doing it and the diseases will continue to spread, which is just not fair on the animals. 'And it will only get worse in the autumn when the pigs come out as they really will eat anything. 'If the diseases spread then it could cost the farming industry, which is already in a tough place, millions if not billions of pounds to deal with. That is not an exaggeration. 'We are all for recycling especially as the area is so connected to nature but it needs to be done in the right way. 'We just want the council and other agricultural institutions to come together to create a solution. It's a different issue to that in urban areas. 'I believe that the bins need tougher locks that don't come open if the bins fall over and to be put out at the right time by the homeowners.' Mr Parry-Norton previously raised concerns at the Verderers' court, which 'regulates and protects the New Forest's unique agricultural commoning practices'. He said earlier this year: 'New Forest District Council is going to be supplying food waste bins for weekly collections - the advice is that these bins are left outside the gate and then residents top them up from a smaller kitchen waste bin. 'In the UK it is illegal to feed or allow kitchen waste to be fed to pigs. 'Not only could this a problem for pigs but also donkeys and ponies who will quickly realise this could become a potential food source. 'We, the CDA, ask the verderers to persuade New Forest District Council to retract their advice and request that these bins are kept on the residents premises where stock do not have access to it.' Households in the national park have each been given a 23l brown outdoor food waste recycling caddy and a 5l grey indoor food waste recycling caddy. The council said food waste is being taken to an anaerobic digestion facility where it would be used to create fertiliser and renewable energy. Jack Davies, councillor for Pennington and former mayor of Lymington, said his ward was being used as a 'guinea pig for the rest of the New Forest'. He told the Telegraph: 'The teething problems that we are having will be ironed out, but that is no comfort to us in the first phase as there are clearly issues. The new bins feel cheap.' Announcing the latest rollout earlier this month, the district council's portfolio holder for environment and sustainability Geoffrey Blunden had said: 'We're asking residents in the first phase of the new waste service to make the change of putting food waste into the caddies instead of the black sacks of old. 'Like with the sack service, food waste will still be collected every week, but crucially it will now be recycled and reduce what goes in the general waste bin.' The local authority said it was providing leaflets explaining what can and cannot go in food waste recycling, as well as a starter-roll of caddy liners. Cllr Blunden added: 'We know this is a new way of doing things and may take some time to get used to. 'Our collection crews will also be adjusting to collecting food waste for the first time, and new collection routes. 'By working together, it will make a big impact for our environment, our district, and future generations.' In response to the new concerns being raised, a council spokesman said the situation was being monitored 'in the early days of the new service'. Householders have been advised to store the caddies within their property boundaries other than on collection days. The spokesman also insisted: 'The move to bins and caddies is already leading to a massive improvement in street cleanliness. 'The previously used rubbish sacks were often ripped open by the free roaming animals, as well as seagulls, and foxes.'
Reuters
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
China tries to shift appetite for extreme eating shows
HONG KONG, June 24 (Reuters) - China said on Tuesday that consumers should "rationally resist bad content" of extreme eating shows, which have boomed online, because they cause "heartbreaking" food waste and spread "unhealthy" ideas about food. Extreme eating shows in China have included people eating as many cups of instant noodles as possible, devouring dumplings and wolfing down hamburgers. The statement from China's Consumer Association is the latest effort to curb people's appetite for online eating shows, which remain widely streamed in the world's second largest economy even after attempts to more tightly regulate the industry in 2020. The shows attract hoards of followers who are keen to watch people consuming copious amounts of food, including very spicy dishes. Some online platforms are "now full of extreme eating shows, which use the food intake that challenges the physiological limits of human beings," the statement said. "Not only does it seriously deviate from the true connotation of food culture, but it also causes heartbreaking food waste." The shows trample on China's traditional virtues of diligence and thrift, the association added, and also spread "unhealthy and irrational" ideas about eating that could harm young people. "Every porridge and every meal should be thought of as hard-earned," it said. China in 2020 strengthened regulation and banned clips that promoted food waste. It passed a law in 2021 to combat food waste while last year authorities also unveiled an action plan to boost food production while reducing waste. The association urged consumers not to follow, like, or forward extreme eating shows and actively block related accounts or channels. Show creators must refuse waste and not plan, produce, or publish extreme eating content, it said. "The focus of creation should be shifted to exploring the cultural connotation of the true nature of food." The statement comes a week after Beijing ordered some civil servants not to dine out in groups of more than three after deaths linked to excessive alcohol consumption at banquets. China is also battling rising obesity, particularly among children, after physical activity dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic and people ordered more fast food online.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
China tries to shift appetite for extreme eating shows
HONG KONG (Reuters) -China said on Tuesday that consumers should "rationally resist bad content" of extreme eating shows, which have boomed online, because they cause "heartbreaking" food waste and spread "unhealthy" ideas about food. Extreme eating shows in China have included people eating as many cups of instant noodles as possible, devouring dumplings and wolfing down hamburgers. The statement from China's Consumer Association is the latest effort to curb people's appetite for online eating shows, which remain widely streamed in the world's second largest economy even after attempts to more tightly regulate the industry in 2020. The shows attract hoards of followers who are keen to watch people consuming copious amounts of food, including very spicy dishes. Some online platforms are "now full of extreme eating shows, which use the food intake that challenges the physiological limits of human beings," the statement said. "Not only does it seriously deviate from the true connotation of food culture, but it also causes heartbreaking food waste." The shows trample on China's traditional virtues of diligence and thrift, the association added, and also spread "unhealthy and irrational" ideas about eating that could harm young people. "Every porridge and every meal should be thought of as hard-earned," it said. China in 2020 strengthened regulation and banned clips that promoted food waste. It passed a law in 2021 to combat food waste while last year authorities also unveiled an action plan to boost food production while reducing waste. The association urged consumers not to follow, like, or forward extreme eating shows and actively block related accounts or channels. Show creators must refuse waste and not plan, produce, or publish extreme eating content, it said. "The focus of creation should be shifted to exploring the cultural connotation of the true nature of food."The statement comes a week after Beijing ordered some civil servants not to dine out in groups of more than three after deaths linked to excessive alcohol consumption at banquets. China is also battling rising obesity, particularly among children, after physical activity dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic and people ordered more fast food online.
The Independent
23-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Campaigners call for action on reusable packaging and cutting food waste
Campaigners and businesses are calling for the widespread adoption of reusable packaging as well as action to cut food waste across the grocery sector. Reuse experts on Tuesday released research which suggests that adopting reusable packaging for 30% of goods in the UK grocery retail sector could deliver £136 million in annual savings for producers. The packaging extended producer responsibility regulations (Perp), which came into force in January, require producers to pay for the management of packaging waste. The report, commissioned by sustainability consultants GoUnpacked, found that producers could save between £314 million and £577 milllion annually in overall system costs compared to single-use packaging, accounting for the costs of transitioning. It also suggests that shifting to reuse packaging could reduce both the products' carbon emissions and the waste from packaging materials previously used by 95%. The research was developed with input from an advisory panel made up of stakeholders such as the Environment Department (Defra), Biffa, Tesco, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap), Innovate UK, and WWF. It explored multiple product categories, such as coffee, ready meals and shower gel, using various reuse scenarios to provide an evidence-based picture of the potential impacts of reuse. A 30% reuse target was found to be achievable by converting just 18 priority product categories, using 30 standardised repackaging types. The report also outlined recommendations for industry and the Government to collaborate on a transition plan to reach the target by 2035, by co-ordinating retailers, supply chain logistics, waste management and local authorities. Rob Spencer, Co-Founder of GoUnpackaged, said: 'It's time to move on from debate and focus on the facts: Reuse works. 'Our study shows that switching just 30% of goods to reusable packaging is a huge opportunity for producers and retailers to win – environmentally, financially, and even societally, creating jobs and reducing waste. 'That's why we're calling on the industry and Government to work together and take action to move towards 30% reuse, starting now. There's no excuse to delay tackling the single-use packaging crisis any longer.' In a joint statement, the advisory panel said: 'The modelling results show, for the first time, an evidenced view of reuse working at scale in the UK for grocery retail, enabling industry and government to make insightful decisions about how to move forwards to co-create the necessary transition to reuse in the UK. 'We look forward to bringing the value chain together in June to kick-start the discussion of the next practical steps towards wide-scale reuse in the UK.' It comes after campaign group Wrap and Tesco called for urgent action to reduce global food loss and waste as part of a collaboration to tackle the issue across global supply chains through a series of initiatives. The two organisations cited the World Economic Forum, which estimates that food loss and waste also costs the global economy 936 billion US dollars (£693 billion) a year, when more than 783 million people go hungry every day, and a third of humanity faces food insecurity. Tony McElroy, Tesco's head of circularity campaigns, said: 'We remain focused on driving forward action across our entire supply chain and in collaboration with our key partners as we accelerate progress to halve our food waste.' Catherine David, chief executive of Wrap, said: 'The need to reset our global food system is imperative as our population grows and the climate changes. 'Food security will become a priority for governments as the real impacts of climate change bite harder in coming years, and tackling waste is a key step they must take.' Wrap also warned that governments are falling far short when it comes to outlining their plans to cut emissions in line with UN targets, known as nationally determined contributions. It found that just 12 of the 195 countries to attend the UN Climate Conference, Cop29, in November had committed to reducing food loss and waste in their plans.
