Food Waste Collections

Weekly food waste collections will begin in phases across the borough from Autumn 2026. You’ll receive a letter before your service starts, followed by delivery of your indoor caddy, outdoor caddy and liners ahead of your first collection. Specific start dates for your address will be confirmed closer to the launch. Keep an eye on this page and our social media channels for updates.

No, this service is included in your usual waste collection service at no additional cost.

This service is being introduced as part of the Government’s Simpler Recycling legislation. We encourage all residents to participate to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase recycling rates.

Every household will receive a 5-litre indoor caddy, a 23-litre outdoor caddy and a roll of caddy liners, along with a service information leaflet. Multi-occupancy premises will receive indoor caddies, with alternative outdoor arrangements made separately.

Both the indoor caddy and outdoor caddy will be light grey.

Caddies for households in Phase 1 of the rollout will be delivered from September, ahead of your collection start date. We’ll confirm your exact delivery window closer to the time.

The caddies are much smaller than your wheeled bins. The 5-litre indoor caddy is compact and designed to fit under your sink, on your worktop, or next to existing bins. The 23-litre outdoor caddy is roughly a tenth of the size of your grey wheeled bin and can be stored in any convenient outdoor space until collection day.

The 23-litre caddies have a lockable lid to prevent them catching in the wind and have a lower centre of gravity due to their smaller size. We recommend placing your caddy in a sheltered spot until collection day and bringing it back in as soon as possible once emptied. Many councils across the UK use similar caddies successfully, but if you experience any persistent problems once the service starts, we’ll work with residents to find practical solutions.

Frequently empty and rinse your indoor caddy with hot soapy water and allow it to air dry completely. To prevent smells and messes, use caddy liners and keep the lid closed.

The 5-litre indoor caddy is designed to be emptied regularly into the 23-litre outdoor caddy, so it can accommodate larger households. If you find you’re generating more food waste than expected, the best approach is to empty the indoor caddy into the outdoor caddy more frequently. You may also find that small changes – such as planning meals and shopping more carefully – can make a real difference to how much food waste your household produces. Visit Love Food Hate Waste for tips and recipe ideas.

Caddy liners will be issued in rolls when your caddies are delivered. When you reach the last liner in a roll, simply tie it to your caddy handle on collection day – signalling to our collection team that you need a new roll, which will be left inside your caddy. You don’t have to use the liners provided – any plastic bag or compostable liner works just as well.

The caddy liners provided are not compostable, but this isn’t a problem for the food waste facility. The bags are automatically opened and separated from the food waste during processing, so everything is still recycled correctly. You don’t need to use the liners we provide – any plastic bag, such as a carrier bag, will work just as well. Compostable liners are also fine if you prefer them.

Yes, all meat (raw and cooked), fish and bones can go in your food waste caddy. The anaerobic digestion process safely handles all food waste types.

If you already compost, that’s fantastic! You can continue composting garden and vegetable waste while using your food waste caddy for items that can’t go in a home composter, such as raw and cooked meat, fish, bones and pet food.

Food waste will be collected weekly on your usual bin collection day. To check which day your bins are collected, visit www.fylde.gov.uk/wasteportal. Please keep an eye on our social media channels or visit our food waste webpage for the latest updates on when the new service will be introduced from October 2026.

Your food waste is taken to an anaerobic digestion facility where it’s used to generate renewable energy and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

If you already have an assisted collection, this will automatically extend to your food waste collection too — there’s nothing you need to do.

If you don’t currently have an assisted collection but think you might need one, you can apply at www.fylde.gov.uk/wasteportal or email recycle@fylde.gov.uk. You can also request an assisted collection just for your food waste service if you don’t need one for your other bins.

No, your existing bin collections will remain the same. Your grey, blue, brown and green wheeled bins will continue to be collected at the same frequency as they are now. The new weekly food waste collection is an additional service that sits alongside your current waste and recycling arrangements. As part of the UK Government’s Simpler Recycling initiative, kerbside collections for soft plastics will also be introduced from Spring 2027.

No, the garden waste subscription service will remain unchanged. The new food waste collection is a separate service for food waste only.

If your living situation is slightly different, don’t worry. Our Waste Management team are aware that this isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation and will be in touch with guidance that addresses your exact situation in due course. Multi-occupancy premises will receive indoor caddies, but alternative arrangements will be made for outdoor collection.