Recycling services

We offer recycling services for residents to recycle household items from their homes, including recyclable packaging, food waste, garden waste, small electricals, batteries and textiles.

Food waste

Recycling food waste is quick and easy and saves space in your rubbish bin. It can even save you money by making you aware of how much food you are throwing away each week.

Food waste is collected weekly from either a small 23L black food waste caddy, or a communal brown food waste bin.

Indoor caddies are not supplied but can be bought online or from a range of shops in a variety of styles and colours to suit. You can also reuse items such as ice cream tubs, or plastic takeaway containers to collect the food waste in your kitchen. Food waste can also be placed loose into the outdoor caddy or wrapped in newspaper.

If you do not have an outdoor food waste bin or your current bin is broken you can order a new bin.

To use the food waste recycling service:

  • Line your indoor caddy/container with any plastic or paper bag.
  • When the caddy or container is full, tie the bag and place the bag in your outdoor food bin.
  • Keep the outdoor bin locked using the lockable handle.
  • Place your caddy at the front boundary of your property by 7am on collection day each week.
  • If you choose to place your food waste loose into the outdoor caddy without a bag, please ensure this is regularly cleaned to prevent waste becoming stuck to the bottom.

Food waste caddy accepted items

The following items may be put in your food waste caddy:

  • Bread, cakes and pastries.
  • Cereals, rice, pasta, beans and pulses.
  • Cheese, including small amounts of butter or lard.
  • Eggs, eggshells.
  • Food scrapings from your plates and dishes.
  • Food that has passed the use by date (please remove all packaging).
  • Fruit, vegetables and peelings including cores and stones.
  • Pet food.
  • Raw and cooked fish and meat, including skin and bones.
  • Tea bags, tea leaves and coffee grounds, including tea bags and paper coffee filters.

Items that are not accepted

Please do not put any of these materials in your food caddy:

  • Packaging of any kind.
  • Liquids such as milk.
  • Oil or liquid fat.
  • Any material that is not food waste.

What happens to my food waste?

All our vehicles collecting recycling are twin packs, with a split compartment on the back. The food waste is put into a separate compartment on the back of the vehicle to the recycling and is sent to a different processor in Oxfordshire for recycling via anaerobic digestion.

Anaerobic digestion is a natural process where plant and animal materials (known as biomass) are broken down by micro-organisms in the absence of air. The process releases a methane-rich gas that is used to generate renewable heat and power; this helps cut fossil fuel use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The remaining material, known as digestate, is rich in nutrients, so it can be used as a fertiliser.

Love food, hate waste!

We waste 6.5 million tonnes of food waste every year in the UK, of which 4.5 million is edible! Discover some simple hacks, tips and guidance to make the most of your food at home. Find out why it’s so crucial that we all do our bit to save our food from the bin - and protect our beautiful planet at the same time too. Every little thing you do, every day, makes a huge difference.

By working together, it soon adds up if you times each small action by 66 million people living in the UK. And you’ll save money on your shopping bill too! From simple meal planning, storage ideas and shopping tips, there is a lot more you can do to prevent this waste in the first place, rather than just recycle your leftovers.

For top tips and information, go to the Love food, hate waste website. 

Home composting

Almost half of our food waste could be composted, so a great way to reduce the amount of food and garden waste is to compost it at home. It saves money and resources and can help to improve your soil and reduce your impact on the environment.

To more information about home composting visit the Recycle Now website.