Forty per cent of waste going into Blackburn with Darwen's bins is leftover food, says a new report.

And around half of what is deposited in general waste burgundy bins is still in date or edible, according to an analysis by council bosses.

The findings have been revealed to councillors sitting on a borough overview and scrutiny committee as part of briefing on food waste collections.

Before the end of March 2026 all authorities must introduce a separate weekly food recycling system.

But Blackburn with Darwen Council has secured an extension to June to tie up with the end of their residual waste disposal contract with Suez.

Tony Watson, the council's environment head, said in a report: "The council undertakes statistical study via a waste compositional analysis of its residual waste and recycling collection bin contents every two years, so has a statistical knowledge of what is being disposed of across the borough.

"To provide some indication of the tonnages of food waste produced by households within Blackburn with Darwen, our residents create more than 14,000 tonnes of food waste each year.

"Food waste amounts to more than 40 per cent of the contents of the burgundy bin, with half of that food waste either still in date or edible.

"This information is from the waste analyses which the council has undertaken every two years and has done for the past six years.

"The percentage of food waste in the burgundy bin has remained constant at 40 per cent (most other councils are around 25 per cent).

"This is despite communications campaigns around reducing food waste being undertaken by the council."

Around a third of households, says Mr Watson, in council areas, tend to get involved with food waste recycling. If this was mirrored locally then 4,600 tonnes of food waste would be collected.

Whitehall has provided around £1.15m towards the cost of introducing food waste collections - the council estimates at this point in time this represents a £171,000 shortfall on estimated requirements.

Under an anticipated system, households would be issued with five-litre kitchen caddies, with waste stored in liners. This would then be transferred, when full, to a larger 23-litre food waste bin, which would be lockable to prevent animal access.

Free caddy liners would be provided to residents at the start of any rollout and more could be ordered as part of the regular rounds.

Councillors have been told that the authority currently pays £150 per tonne to dispose of residual waste but any food waste dealt with at an anaerobic digestion plant would be zero-rated.

An estimated 23 new staff would be needed for a food waste collection round, says Mr Watson, and there would be question marks over an anaerobic digestion solution.

One is due to be built by Suez at Lower Eccleshill Road in Darwen but it may not be operational by 2026, he adds.

Further doubts exist over future government funding for any costs shortfalls, councillors have also been told.