A new food waste collection service in Dunfermline has collected more than 3,800kg of food waste in recent months.

The service, which started at Broomhead in July, is part of a wider project by Fife Council to reduce waste across the region.

So far, around 600 properties have benefited from the initiative.

The collected food waste, which would have otherwise ended up in landfill, is being diverted to the anaerobic digestion plant in Dunfermline, which feeds the communal heat network.

This project was supported by around £30,000 from Zero Waste Scotland, which helped to buy food caddies, liners and external units for people living in high-rise flats.

Councillor Jan Wincott, Fife Council spokesperson for environment and climate change, said: "We’ve been delighted with how this project has gone so far and the results speak for themselves.

"We have seen a significant shift in recycling habits during the trial period and the initial rollout, and the feedback from residents has been overwhelmingly positive."

The project was launched in response to a 2022 waste analysis which found that food and garden waste made up 31 per cent of residual waste in the area.

The council now plans to expand the service to mid-rise properties.

Sandy Anderson, Fife Council service manager, said: "We’re now moving to some of our mid-rise properties and hope to have the remaining external food units in place over the next few months.

"All in all, it’s exciting to see the impact of this expanded service and we remain committed to supporting our residents in reducing food waste and enhancing recycling efforts."

The initiative aims to prevent contamination of other waste that could be recycled, as well as ensuring that food waste can be sent to anaerobic digestion facilities to generate sustainable energy to power local homes and businesses.