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Frequently asked questions about food waste recycling

When will my food waste be collected for recycling?

Your food waste recycling is collected weekly, on the same day as your kerbside recycling, black box and blue bag collection. For advice on how to leave your food waste for collection see "How to use the food waste recycling scheme".

Why not compost all my food waste at home in my composter?

It is difficult to home compost all food waste. Uncooked vegetables are great home composting material, but cooked vegetable material and baked goods can compost slowly and inefficiently and attract vermin. It is strongly advised that you avoid putting cooked or raw meat/fish and bones in your garden composter, as they may fail to compost, generate smells and attract vermin.

The waste we collect goes through a very efficient process that ensures all the material composts and all the bad bacteria and germs are killed. The process used is prescribed by law, certified by the Animal Health Agency and regularly monitored by the Environment Agency.

Why should I use the food waste collection scheme or home compost?

In recycling and composting your garden and food waste you avoid damage to the environment by:

  • Reducing emissions of greenhouse gasses and water pollutants from landfill.
  • Extending the life of our landfills (we still need somewhere to put the things we cannot reuse, compost, recycle, or even burn for energy).
  • Helping us meet the borough's recycling targets.
  • Helping reduce Council Tax burdens or increases. Failing to meet current recycling targets for the next five years could cost ratepayers millions.
  • Helping to keep down costs, since landfill and waste-to-energy conversion are going to become more expensive than recycling.
  • Generating local jobs and income.
  • Making free fertilizer for your garden (which has not been externally handled, transported and packaged and then sold to you).

What happens to the food waste once it is collected?

We bulk the material for transport to a processor. The waste we collect is passed through a very efficient and technical process that ensures the material entirely composts and that all the bad bacteria and germs are killed. The resulting compost is sold by the processer and is usually used on industrial scale landscaping projects, by turf companies and in agriculture. The income helps lower the fee the council pays for the waste to be processed.

My collection bin smells, what can I do?

If you are putting the food waste directly in to the storage bin try lining the bin with newspaper or wrapping the food in paper like fish and chips.

Should I tape or tie up newspaper parcels of food before I but them in the collection bin?

Please only wrap it on itself, anything you use may not be compostable or compost fast enough. It is also useful for the crew to able to easily look at its contents.

Do I have to use the kitchen caddy?

No. We have provided the smaller container for your convenience. If you wish you, can store the material in whatever you want in the kitchen as long as when you transfer the material to the storage bin for collection and make sure there is no contamination (i.e. plastic bags, glass).

Can I put out the kitchen caddy for collections?

Please only place the storage bin out for collections as it is designed to deter vermin attack and is more visible.

Can I leave out food waste in only the special liners, without the bins?

No. The bin is needed to protect the waste and aid the crew in recognising and handling the material.

Can I put eggshells in?

Yes.

Can I put animal bedding and faeces out for collection?

No. Food waste only please.

What if I put unsuitable materials in the bin?

Unsuitable materials in your bin constitute anything that is not food waste such as plastic, tins, wrappings. If we are unable to empty your bin due to unsuitable materials we will leave a label on the bin to inform you. Follow this link for more information on Food Waste Contamination Stickers and their use.

Am I allowed a second bin?

Yes, if you fill the larger storage bin each week with food and need an additional bin, please phone 08456 122 660 to have one delivered to you.

Missed collections

A separate vehicle to the black box and blue bag kerbside recycling collects your food waste. So one may be taken before the other. If your recycling has not been collected by 3pm, please report a missed collection online or phone 08456 122 660 - we will arrange for a collection the next working day.

Bank Holidays

After a bank holiday all recycling collections will take place one day later, except for Good Friday when there is a normal service.

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