DID YOU GET THIS LEAFLET THROUGH YOUR DOOR?

Eight pages long, it is filled with tips and information about how we can all make sure that our food is not wasted.

Just reducing the amount that is wasted is the first step, through to disposing of what we don't or can't use via our food waste collection service or a compost bin.

The booklet even has a recipe for bread and butter pudding to use up stale bread and mainly store cupboard ingredients (although the recipe has two non-crucial errors - did you spot them?). A QR code takes you to a whole new website with suggestions for using leftovers.

It has been produced and posted at minimum cost to every household in the county by Gloucestershire County Council who will be monitoring the food waste collection to see if rates have changed as a result of an increase in the level of awareness following the distribution of the leaflet.

The worst problem is that many residents don't use their food waste bin but dispose of the unwanted food in the general refuse bin. 25% of all general black bin waste is food. It is not easily processed by the Javelin Park Incinerator, where all of our general rubbish goes, as it is too wet.

Food Waste goes to the Anaerobic Digester at Bishop's Cleeve where it produces gas to be fed back into the national grid. The residue is used fertiliser by farmers to produce more food. What's not to like?