Weekly food waste collections

Recycling your food waste is one of the simplest ways to make a positive difference to the environment. Your food waste can be recycled into renewable energy and nutrient rich fertiliser. 

Plus, recycling your food waste helps reduce the amount of rubbish in your black bin, making waste collection and disposal more cost-effective.

Your food waste will be taken to a local food waste facility to be processed. The process produces bio gas, which can be used to generate heat and electricity for the National Grid and what's left is used as a bio-fertiliser for local farms.

How to recycle your food waste

Recycling your food waste is easy, put a liner in your indoor kitchen caddy and empty your food waste into it. When your kitchen food caddy is full, tie the liner securely and put it into your outdoor kerbside caddy. 

Find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about your food waste collection service below.

What will I need to recycle my food?

All households in Halton have been provided with a small kitchen caddy and a year's supply of liners as well as a larger kerbside caddy with a lid that locks to keep pests out.

What can I put into my food caddy?

Here are some of the items you can put in your food waste caddy;

🍗 Raw and cooked meat and fish, including bones

🍎 Raw and cooked fruit and vegetables and their peelings

🍟 Fast food, takeaway and ready meal leftovers

🫖 Tea leaves, bags and coffee grounds

🧀 Dairy products like cheese, eggs and egg shells

🍪 Baked goods like bread, cake, pastries, pies and biscuits

🐾 Pet food

🫘 Rice, pasta, noodles, beans and pulses

Please DO NOT put the following items into your food caddy

Please do not put any kind of;

🥡 Packaging

🥛 Liquids (such as milk or oil)

❌ Any non food products

What should I do on collection day?

Your food waste will be collected on your usual collection day each week. We will use a separate vehicle to collect your food waste. Your caddy can be left out until it has been emptied. Please make sure your outdoor food waste caddy is presented before 7am.

Where should I put my outdoor food waste caddy for collection?

Simply place your outdoor food waste caddy in the same spot where you normally leave your other bin for collection.

I have an assisted collection. Will my food waste caddy be collected too?

Yes. If you receive an assisted collection, your food waste caddy is included. Just leave your outdoor food waste caddy with your other bin on your usual collection day and our crews will collect it as part of your service.

What if I don’t produce any food waste?

Remember there is no amount too small. The best thing we can do with our food is enjoy it but some waste like banana skins, tea bags and bones are unavoidable and can all be recycled.

Why should I recycle my food waste?

You’re already producing food waste, it’s going in your black bin, so this is just a different container. It’s important to reduce the amount of food waste going to disposal, food waste produces methane which is a harmful greenhouse gas.

How often will my food waste be collected?

Food waste will be collected every week in Halton on your usual collection day. 

I live in a property with communal bins (flat/ apartment/ complex). What should I do with my food waste?

For now, please continue to place your food waste in your existing communal waste bin.

In the coming months, food waste recycling will be introduced to the properties in Halton using communal bins (flats, apartments, complexes). Our crews will provide each household with a small indoor food waste caddy and a year's supply of liners to help you collect food waste in your home.

You'll then be able to place your bagged food waste from your indoor caddy, directly into a new grey communal food waste bin, which will be emptied weekly as part of the service.

We'll share more information and let residents know when the new arrangements for properties with communal bins are ready to begin.

Where should I keep my food waste caddies?

Your food waste service includes two caddies, each with a different purpose.

Indoor kitchen caddy: Keep this somewhere convenient indoors, such as on your kitchen worktop, under the sink or in a cupboard. The best place is wherever it's easy for you to add food waste as you cook or clear up after meals.

Outdoor kerbside caddy: Store this outside, just as you would your black bin. You may choose to keep it alongside your other bins.

When it's collection day, simply place your outdoor kerbside caddy in the same location where you normally present your black bin for collection. This helps crews easily identify and empty it as part of your regular waste collection service.

Remember that food waste is collected in a separate vehicle, so while your collection day remains the same, the time it's collected may be different. 

The indoor caddy stays inside at home, while the outdoor caddy is used for collection. Just fill your indoor caddy, transfer the contents to your outdoor caddy, and put the outdoor caddy out on collection day.

What should I do when I run out of food waste liners?

When your years supply of liners run out, you can use a range of suitable alternatives, including:

  • Certified compostable bags
  • Old plastic bags, such as bread bags or cereal packet liners
  • Standard thin carrier bags
  • Newspaper to wrap food waste

These options can all help you continue recycling your food waste easily and conveniently.

Are you going to consult the public on the changes?

The changes are being brought forward by the UK government, who consulted local authorities and businesses.

Will the food in my food waste caddies smell?

If you empty your kitchen caddy regularly into the outside food waste recycling bin and tie up the liners, you shouldn't notice a smell.

Will there be a charge for food waste collection?

No, food collections will be included in the standard waste collection service.

Why can’t I put food waste in my black general waste bin?

It is a legal requirement for food waste to be collected separately at the kerbside. Recycling your food waste is better for the environment and will be used to generate natural forms of energy and fertiliser or soil conditioner which can be used in farming.

Can I put food waste in my green garden waste bin?

No. Our garden waste is composted out in the open using a method called windrow composting. Food waste needs to be heat treated, to make sure there are no pathogens that can be transferred to people or livestock. This is a more expensive method of treatment and windrow composting is a more environmentally friendly method of treating garden waste.