How to use the food waste scheme
Each household is provided with two bins. Both bins are clearly labelled for food waste.
The small caddie is to be used in the kitchen and can conveniently store and transfer food waste from the home into the larger storage bin.
In your home, separate all of your food waste from any other waste such as plastics and packaging, and put the food waste into the small kitchen caddie. The caddie has a wide top so food can be scraped easily from your plate into the bin.
Food waste from the kitchen caddy should be emptied into the larger storage bin for collection. This can be empted when it is full or as often as you like, or you can wrap food in newspaper and place it directly into the larger storage bin.
The larger storage bin should be kept outside and put out on the day of your collection. It has a lockable lid for protection against pests. The bin is locked when the handle is facing the front. When the handle is facing the back you can open the lid.
Keeping your bin clean
Do not use plastic bags to line your bin, as they are not compostable!
You don't need to use a bin liner, but they can make the storage and transfer of waste food tidier and more convenient. You can choose between two kinds of liner, as follows:
1. Newspaper as a degradable liner
Newspaper makes a great free compostable liner or wrapper. Either line your bin or caddy with newspaper, or wrap food in newspaper (like you do with fish and chips) and place it in you storage bin. This helps to keep the bin cleaner, and the newspaper will be composted with the food waste.
Use only as much newspaper as seems necessary, and recycle the rest as usual.
2. Special compostable sacks
Liners for the large storage bin can be purchased directly from all borough libraries, from the Civic Centre in Twickenham, by calling 08456 122 660 or ordering online.
Liners for both the storage bin and the kitchen caddie can be purchased via mail order from a recommended supplier. The mail order liners are more expensive than those sold at local libraries.
These liners are made of cornstarch (GM free). They resemble a plastic bag but will compost completely within 30 days. Be warned that some other sacks sold as "degradable" or "biodegradable" may take months or years to dissolve, or may never do so completely.
Please do not use sacks other than those recommended on this page.
Collection arrangements
Your food waste will be collected weekly, on the same day as your kerbside recycling (black box and blue bag), but will be collected by a different vehicle. Please ensure that you place the larger food waste bin at the edge of your property by 7.30am on your collection day, and that is clearly visible from the road. Please don't place it anywhere that will obstruct pedestrians.
Always put food waste out for collection in the storage bin, because this has a securable lid to protect it from animals.
Find out when your recycling will be collected.
Missed collections
Your food waste is picked up by a different vehicle from the rest of your recycling. If your food waste recycling has not been collected by 3pm, please report a missed collection online or phone 0845 612 2660. We will arrange for it to be collected 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.