New special blue wheelie bins have been issued to 60 food businesses in and around Ludlow so that kitchen scraps can be collected and converted into electricity and compost.

The free commercial food waste collection service will swing into action on Monday. It is the first scheme of its kind in the UK.

The waste will be recycled at Ludlow’s biodigester, which converts food scraps into electricity and compost.

The initiative will lead to savings at local businesses which will not charged for the removal of their food waste. Normally, businesses have to pay a surcharge.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays a biodiesel-powered collection vehicle will empty the blue bins and take the food waste up to the biodigester.

There, the food waste will be converted into sterile solid and liquid soil conditioners, heat and electricity.

Today Councillor Nick Barclay, South Shropshire District Council’s lead member for environmental policy, said: “Businesses in the food industry have shown great support for the scheme.

“It is the first commercial waste collection service of its kind in the country.”

Peter Cook, chairman of Ludlow’s Chamber of Trade, who runs Price’s bakers, said: “This is an excellent initiative.

“Not only is it an environmentally-sound way of dealing with waste, it also saves businesses money and Ludlow Chamber of Trade is in full support.”

The commercial food waste collection service is undertaken by the Cwm Harry Land Trust.