ISLANDERS will have their waste examined this month as part of a survey launched by the Isle of Wight Council.

Approximately 600 properties on selected streets will see their waste collected by different vans, and it will then be sorted to see how much could have been recycled.

The survey will take place over two weeks this summer, commencing August 19 and September 9.

It will also check how much of the non-recyclable waste could have been used to create energy in a new £58m plant planned at Forest Park, Newport.

Information gathered will help the council to improve waste and recycling education campaigns in the future.

The Island recycled 53.4 percent of household waste in 2017/18.

Residents of the selected streets, which are Island wide and cover a cross section of the population, have been contacted directly via letter.

The Isle of Wight Council said no personal information will be identified, and the sampled bins will not be identified with individual properties.

Collected waste will be kept secured throughout the analysis and then disposed of in the normal way.

Councillor Steve Hastings, cabinet member for waste services, said: "I’m thanking residents of the roads which have been selected, for their help with this survey. During this week, they may see a different van collecting the waste or recycling from their property for this study.

"This study isn’t targeting specific people, and we assure residents taking part that all information collected will remain anonymous and any waste surveyed will not be linked to any properties."

Natasha Dix, head of waste services at the council, said: "The survey will give us a ‘snap shot’ of how people sort their waste and, on average, what is generated.

"This means that if there are certain items that appear in waste that could be recycled, it’ll flag up the areas we need to concentrate our education campaigns on.

"For example, many people believe that food leftovers decompose naturally once sent to landfill so place this out as waste. The reality is food waste sent to landfill rots and releases methane, a damaging greenhouse gas.

"Recycling it in your food waste containers every week, however, means that we can send this to be composted instead."

A second phase of the survey will take place in February 2020.

It will be carried out by Waste Research on behalf of the council, working in partnership with Amey.

Residents do not need to do anything different and the waste will be collected as normal on the scheduled day of the week.

If they do not wish to be involved, residents can let the waste service team know by emailing waste.contract@iow.gov.uk or calling (01893) 823777.