Green Cone gobbles up household food waste -- including the bones.

Byline: Miranda Bryant

A LONDON borough is pioneering a new green method that can break down any kind of household food waste,even meat and bones.

The Green Cone, being promoted by Islington, is said to cut household waste by up to 30 per cent. It uses the heat of the sun to turn all types of food into water, carbon dioxide and a small amount of soilboosting residue. Unlike a composter, it handles meat, fish and bones, as well as plant-based food.

The translucent green cone, made from recycled plastic, creates a heat trap of circulating air that encourages the growth of bacteria to break down the food. It is just over a metre high, but almost half of it is dug into the ground.

It can take up to one full caddy of waste every one to two days in summer and every two to three days in winter. Islington residents can buy the Green Cone from the council for [pounds sterling]30 -- instead of the recommended retail price of [pounds sterling]68.07 plus [pounds sterling]9.74 deliv-ery. Users also need "accelerator powder" which contains the bacteria. About 90 per cent of the food is turned into water and carbon dioxide, with a residue to be emptied once every two years.

Katharine Robinson, 44, an environmental consultant from Barnes, has used a cone since 2002. "It's very low maintenance," she said.

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Waste not: Katharine Robinson with her Green Cone. She has used the system since 2002