The quantity of waste food being thrown out by each household started to fall once weekly collections were introduced in Ludlow, Britain's self-styled capital of food.

With the town's reputation for gourmet eating, bi-monthly farmers' markets, an annual food festival and formerly featuring more Michelin stars than any town outside London, its people might have been expected to appreciate the value of food. Preparatory research had shown, however, that each household was throwing away 4.2kg (9lb) of food leftovers each week.

Within a few months of starting house-to-house food waste collections to fuel the anaerobic digester, the amount wasted by each family had fallen to 3.6kg. Officials are convinced that the introduction of collections made clear to householders just how much of their weekly shopping was being wasted.

Until collections started in the Shropshire town last year, unwanted food was thrown away with the rest of the household rubbish and ended up in landfill. The new service meant that residents had to put all their food waste into a small separate bucket in the kitchen before transferring it, in a degradable corn starch bag, into a blue collection bin outside.

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The process of putting the food into a separate bin appears to have shocked those responsible for the waste. “It pricks our conscience that we are wasting all that food,” Bill Jones, of South Shropshire District Council, said.

Other factors likely to have encouraged the residents of Ludlow to reduce the levels of wasted food are the credit crunch, which has driven them to be more careful with their money, the rising cost of food, and a greater awareness of the problems caused by their waste and the shortage of landfill space in which to deposit it.

Mr Jones said: “The credit crunch is having an effect and people are moving away from pre-made meals and they are making it themselves. At the same time, the cost of food is rising.”

During the trial period the plant was the subject of a handful of complaints about the smell, but further work to ensure that the units were sealed was thought to have solved the problem.

Most people in and around the town are said to be happy with the unit and feel a sense of ownership and personal involvement. Mr Jones said: “We are very proud of what we have achieved. One of the surprises is the public perception. People look at this plant as their own.”

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