The council is encouraging residents to think more about how they can reduce food waste at this time of year which not only helps the planet but saves on our bank accounts too.

Almost 60% of all food waste in Scotland comes from households.

By reducing how much food we actually waste we can help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are produced from food waste going to landfill which directly contributes to climate change.

Apart from reducing the amount of money we spend on excess food buying that will ultimately not be consumed, we can also make sure that any food waste is disposed of correctly.

Putting food waste in the correct wheelie bin can play a huge part in reducing greenhouse gases. Around a third of food waste is still being put into everyone’s non-recyclable waste bin instead of the burgundy compostable waste bin.

All cooked and uncooked food can be recycled using your burgundy bin including meat and bones, eggshells, fruit and vegetables, bread, fish, pasta, tea bags and other items.

If you do not have a burgundy bin and would like one delivered free of charge, please complete our ‘order a new recycling bin’ form.

And please remember, while a £45 garden waste permit is required to put garden waste in the burgundy bin, food waste is still collected and recycled for free, whether you have a permit or not.

Councillor Robert Brown, the council’s Chair of Community and Enterprise Resources, said: “Now, perhaps more so than any time of year is an opportunity to reflect on how our actions can contribute to our climate and environment.

“Food waste can have harmful effects on the climate when it is not recycled correctly.

“So we would like to encourage as many people as possible to recycle their food waste using their free burgundy bin collections and using their free burgundy bin caddy.”

More details on how to tackle food waste and to save time and money can be found on the Zero Waste Scotland website where you can also take a free bite-sized food waste online course to discover more ways to reduce food waste.