Food waste

If you don't subscribe to the Garden Waste Recycling Scheme

If you don't have a garden bin, or don't wish to subscribe to the scheme, you should put your food waste in your black bin.

If you have space, you could also try composting at home. It's a low cost, natural process that transforms your kitchen and garden waste into a valuable and nutrient rich food for your garden.

With the right knowledge and tools, it's easy to make and easy to use.

Find out more on our home composting page.

Food waste caddies

You can use a food caddy to collect food waste before transferring the contents into your garden bin. Alternatively, you can put food waste directly into the garden bin if you choose not to use a caddy.

Size of the food caddy

The bin measures - width 252mm, depth 229mm, height 234mm and has 7 litres capacity. It is a little bin that is designed to sit on your kitchen worktop or under the sink.

You can put your food waste directly into your existing garden waste bin if you don't want to use the caddy.

Using your food caddy

• Keep your food caddy in the kitchen and fill it with your food waste. 
• Empty your food waste caddy into your garden bin. You may want to wash your caddy before you re-use it.
• We empty garden bins every two weeks for those who have a subscription to the Garden Waste Recycling Scheme.
  
  We won't empty food waste caddies.

You can use your food waste caddy with compostable liners or leave the food loose in your caddy. Your caddy will come with an initial supply of compostable liners. You can buy more compostable liners from local supermarkets - look out for the standard number EN13432.

Multiple language guides to using your food caddy

• Arabic - using your food caddy (PDF, 1MB)
• Bulgarian - using your food caddy (PDF, 777KB)
• English - using your food caddy (PDF, 2MB)
• Polish - using your food caddy (PDF, 800KB)
• Portuguese - using your food caddy (PDF, 793KB)
• Romanian - using your food caddy (PDF, 769KB)
• Slovak - using your food caddy (PDF, 799KB)

Food waste you can put in your garden bin if you have a subscription

• compostable caddy liners - you can use them if you wish but you don't have to
• meat and fish  - raw and cooked, including bones
• fruit and vegetables - raw and cooked including peelings
• uneaten food from your plates and dishes
• bread, cakes and pastries
• rice, pasta and beans
• dairy products and eggs
• tea bags, tea and coffee grounds 
• egg shells, stale bread and crusts
• leftover solid fats
• cat and dog food - and hay, straw and wood shavings (not used for pet bedding.)
• Stones from fruit - for example prune stones

What not to add to your garden bin

• don't add packaging of any sort
• don't add plastic bags or nappy bags (don't use them as liners)
• don't add cardboard or paper
• don't add foil or food wrap
• don't add liquid
• don't add solid and garden rubble
• don't add coffee filters
• don't add biodegradable face wipes
• don't add cat litter or animal waste
• don't add wax or waxed packaging (milk or juice cartons)

You can see where to dispose of waste on our what waste goes where page.

What happens to the waste in your garden bin

You can find out what happens to your food and garden waste on our what happens to your recycling and rubbish page.

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Page last reviewed: 13 June 2024