Residents in Birmingham should be encouraged to throw nothing away, according to green campaigners.

Instead, Birmingham Friends of the Earth wants to see everything recycled, reused or composted and, as a result, the Tyseley Incinerator fall in to disuse.

They are calling on Birmingham City Council to adopt a 'zero waste strategy' which would include the introduction of food waste recycling for homes.

The campaign, called Waste Isn't Rubbish, was launched as the council begins to look at its waste strategy.

With the incinerator contract with Veolia due to end in 2019, planning is under way for the future.

The incinerator burns about 350,000 tonnes of household rubbish a year and generates a small amount of electricity. Some metals are also recycled.

Birmingham households currently recycle 29 per cent of their waste - against a target of 35 per cent.

The cancellation of free garden waste collection is thought to have played a part in failure to hit the target.

Libby Harris, from Birmingham Friends of the Earth, said: "Waste is a rubbish fuel. We need a waste system that makes best use of the resources in all our waste, instead of letting them go up in smoke in an outdated incinerator.

"With the council contract with Veolia up in 2019, now is the perfect time for the council to rethink its waste strategy.

"41 per cent of the residual waste sent to the incinerator is organic matter. By taking food out of the waste stream and sending the waste food to an anaerobic digester, it becomes a cleaner, renewable energy source.

"Separating out organic matter means we can make better use of all the resources in our waste.

"This would mean the incinerator is no longer needed, leading to a reduction in CO2 emissions.

"As well as a food waste collection and better recycling facilities, priority should be given to smaller, local waste companies, creating more jobs and ensuring the value of Birmingham's waste stays in the city."

Their proposals include making it easier for people to recycle food waste by providing a food waste collection and more support for home and community composting.

French company Veolia built the Tyseley Incinerator and has operated it since it opened in 1996. Almost all residual household waste collected in Birmingham is burned.