What’s happening?
Unused food and food leftovers currently make up about 30% of what is thrown away in each household’s refuse (green) bin and being able to recycle this will significantly reduce the amount of waste sent for incineration.
It will be used to generate clean, green energy and nutrient-rich soil improver for farmers.
As part of the Environment Act 2021, food waste recycling is expected to be provided by all councils.
How will it work?
Weekly food waste collections will be rolled out across the district in October 2026.
We will set a firm launch date later in the year once we know how progress is with the production of our specialist food collection vehicles.
Sign up to our bin updates to be notified when the date is set.
Before the start of the weekly food waste collections, you will receive a starter pack made up of an information leaflet, a small 5-litre caddy in which to collect food waste in your kitchen and a 23-litre outdoor caddy (or use of a 140-litre container if you share your outside bins with other properties).
Food waste bin calendars will be released before the service begins. Sign up to our bin updates to find out when they are available.
What are we doing now?
Specialist bin lorries have been ordered and are being built to our specification.
We are going through a procurement process to purchase kitchen and outdoor caddies for every house in the district (flats will have communal food waste bins). These have a much shorter delivery timescale than the lorries. The caddies will be delivered in the weeks leading up to the launch date.
East Hampshire Norse will begin the recruitment process for the food waste crews nearer to launch.
Why is food waste recycling important?
Food waste can represent a third of what is put in each household's refuse bin and recycling will significantly reduce the amount sent to be burned for power. Instead, it will help generate clean, green energy via a process called Anaerobic Digestion (AD).
AD is already a valuable source of renewable electricity in the UK, contributing over 1 billion kWh of electricity to the national grid - enough to power around 3 million homes for a year from waste and organic materials. It also provides fertiliser as a byproduct to benefit local farms.
Every bit of food waste will contribute to the generation of green energy, no matter how small. For example, recycling just two tea bags can create enough electricity to fully charge a smartphone, and a full caddy provides enough energy to toast eight slices of bread.
What will go in your food waste bin?
Yes please
- All uneaten raw and cooked food and plate scrapings
- Raw and cooked meat and fish, including bones
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Fruit and vegetables including peelings (raw or cooked), and other parts you can’t use such as pips, stones, and stalks
- Out of date or mouldy food
- Shellfish and seafood shells
- Dairy products such as cheese
- Bread, cakes, pastries
- Eggs and eggshells
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Pet food
No thanks
- Packaging of any kind (except your caddy liner)
- Glass
- Liquids such as milk, liquid fat or gravy
- Oils such as used cooking oil
- Any material that is not food waste, including cat litter, or animal faeces, pet bedding, garden waste
Your food waste questions answered
We’ve set up a page of questions and answers about the food waste service which will cover the most frequently asked questions. We’ll update them from time to time with other questions we receive.