Recycling collections

About our food waste recycling service

Watch our short video on how to turn your food waste into electricity and fertiliser...

If you haven't already, sign up for our free food waste service and you'll receive everything you need to get started.

Food waste recycling for council-owned blocks of flats 

Following a successful trial, we're installing new food waste recycling units in communal bin areas at all council-owned blocks of flats.  

Residents living at the developments will automatically be signed up to the service (so there's no need to register) and we will contact households by letter, with details of when food waste collections are coming and a leaflet explaining how to use the service. After that, our recycling officers will deliver a food waste recycling kit to each household. 

We are also working with developers and managing agents on private developments, to advise them about our food waste recycling service and encourage them to adopt it across their schemes.   

Sign up for food waste recycling

Residents who sign up to our service, will receive:

• a kitchen caddy to collect the food waste
• a roll of caddy liners (food waste bags) to insert into your caddy (store your caddy liners in a dry place)
• ​an external food storage bin to keep the full bags until your food waste is collected.

Replacement caddies can also be ordered through our online form.

Sign up for food waste recycling or order a replacement caddy

Please note:

• We'll deliver food waste sets to your doorstep.
• If it has been more than 10 days since you signed up for food waste recycling and you have not received your set yet, you can query undelivered recycling bags and sets.

Caddy liners

Caddy liners should be stored in a cool, dark and dry place to prevent them from beginning to break down prematurely.

Try to remove any excess moisture from your food waste before putting it into the bag, as liquids will speed up the composting process and mean that your bags need to be changed more regularly.

Order more caddy liners

We've relaunched our automatic recycling bag delivery scheme. If you'd like to sign up for automatic deliveries of caddy liners, register using our online form and we'll deliver caddy liners to your doorstep. 

Important: If you currently have recycling bags or food waste caddy liners delivered, you'll need to re-register your account.

Sign up or re-register for automatic recycling bag deliveries

Alternatively, you can order 1 roll of food waste bags online.

Please note:

• Orders can be made for households (residential properties) only.
• You cannot place another order if your last order was within the last 7 days.
• If it has been more than 10 days since you ordered a roll of food waste bags and you have not received them yet, you can query undelivered recycling bags and sets.

All items accepted through this service

• Dairy produce, including eggs, eggshells and cheese, small amounts of butter or lard
• Pet food
• Paper kitchen towels
• Bread, cakes and pastries
• Fruit, vegetable and peelings
• Cereals, rice, pasta and pulses
• Tea bags, tea leaves and coffee grounds
• Food scrapings from your plates and dishes
• Raw and cooked fish and meat, including skin and bones

If you want to recycle cooking oil, there is a bin at Harefield Civic Amenity Site.

Instructions for collection

On your collection day, place your food bin next to your garden waste at your property boundary before 6am.

Look up my collection day

Missed food waste collection

If your food waste hasn't been collected on your collection day and you have followed instructions for collection, please let us know and we will make another collection within 2 working days.

Please note: A missed collection cannot be reported until after 1.30pm on your collection day and must be within 72 hours of the collection being missed.

Report a missed food waste collection

Broken or old caddies

If you need to dispose of an old or damaged caddy, please place this into a black bag and leave it out with your normal waste collection. Alternatively, you can take it to one our our waste and recycling centres.