An online petition urging the council not to scrap brown bin collections has been signed by nearly 200 people.

The e-petition, which was launched in June, calls on the council to retain the separate food waste collection “as burning food waste or sending it to landfill is ecologically unsound – even if it does save a little money”.

Barnet councillors voted to scrap separate food waste collections – which were rolled out across the borough in 2013 – at a meeting of the environment committee in June.

Instead, the food waste will be put into black bins and disposed of along with general waste.

According to the council, scrapping the separate collections will save £300,000 through the redeployment of agency staff.

But the move has been criticised by Labour councillors, who claim it will add almost £450,000 to the North London Waste Authority levy.

They also argue it breaks the Conservatives’ manifesto pledge to keep weekly bin collections.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has threatened to use his powers to overrule the council’s decision, which he claims is against a London-wide environmental strategy.

The people behind the petition cite a recommendation by the London Assembly “that boroughs should endeavour to include separate food waste collections in their waste management regimes across all property types”.

The petition runs until September 17.