FIRMS in Kirklees could cut their landfill costs by signing up to a new segregated food waste collection service.

About half a million tonnes of food waste is thrown away every year in Yorkshire, according to industry figures. Most of this waste is sent to expensive landfill sites, where it decomposes and emits harmful greenhouse gases.

“Waste collection companies can solve this problem,” said Mike Greenhalf, of business development programme CO2Sense Yorkshire.

“By segregating food waste from the other waste, they can send the food waste to anaerobic digestion energy sites instead of landfill. This will save local businesses money and waste companies who don’t offer this service will be missing out on an important sales opportunity.”

Delegates to a conference run by CO2Sense Yorkshire were given free advice about segregating waste and sending it to environmentally -friendly composting and green energy facilities.

Several AD sites are due to open in Yorkshire during 2010.

Chris Mills, of the government’s Waste and Resources Action Programme, said this would provide a way of diverting food waste from landfill sites – and help generate more electricity from renewable sources. Email mike.greenhalf@ co2sense.org.uk