A new national food waste recycling scheme begins this year.
From April 2026, households will benefit from weekly food waste collections, helping us to reduce the amount of food waste going to landfill.
In March, all homes will receive a new food waste caddy to put out for collection each week.
Below is some information about the new scheme, and what it will means for your household.
Food waste recycling will be introduced in our area from April 2026.
This service is being introduced as part of new Government legislation, which requires councils across England to offer weekly food waste collections.
In March, a food waste caddy will be delivered to each household ready for the first collection - there is no need to contact us to ask for one.
You will receive a 23-litre food waste caddy.
This is roughly the size of a medium pedal bin or a standard rucksack.
All food waste can go in your food caddy, including:
- leftovers and food scraps
- meat and fish (including bones)
- fruit and vegetable peelings
- tea bags and coffee grounds
- eggshells
- leftover pet food
A full list of what can and can't go in your food caddy will be provided with your caddy when it is delivered.
Please do not put the following in your food caddy:
- packaging of any kind
- plastic bags or plastic film
- newspaper or cardboard
- foil
- glass
- garden waste
- liquids
- straw or animal bedding
A full list of what can and can't go in your food caddy will be provided with your caddy when it is delivered.
You do not have to use a bag inside your food caddy, but you can if you want to.
If you do use bags, they must be compostable and clearly display:
- the EN13432 standard
- the compostable seed logo
We will not supply bags, but compostable bags can be purchased from many supermarkets or online.
Food waste will be collected weekly.
We will confirm your collection day when we deliver your caddy.
Food waste will be collected using separate vehicles, so your collection day may be different from your other bins.
We will let you know your collection day when your caddy is delivered.
Food waste will be collected weekly by dedicated food waste vehicles.
Please put your food caddy at the boundary of your property by 7am on your collection day, the same as you do for your wheelie bins.
If you have assisted bin collections we will also collect your food caddy for you, there's no need for you to put it out yourself.
If you miss your collection, we will not be able to return.
Your food waste will be collected on your next scheduled collection day.
No - only food waste placed inside the caddy will be collected.
If you regularly produce more food waste, you can request an additional caddy free of charge by calling our contact centre on 01246 345734.
Yes.
Once collections have started, if you find one caddy is not enough you can request an additional food caddy by calling our contact centre on 01246 345734.
The additional food caddy will be delivered to you free of charge.
You can store your caddy indoors or outdoors, whatever works best for you.
If you prefer to collect food waste inside your home before emptying it into the 23‑litre caddy, you can use any reusable small container with a lid, such as an old ice cream tub.
Yes - when the handle is in the upright position, the container is secured and cannot be opened by animals.
To help prevent smells or pests:
- put food waste out for collection every week
- use compostable liners if you wish
- keep the caddy lid closed
- rinse the caddy occasionally with clean water
Once food waste collections have started, you will be able to request a replacement by:
- logging into your My Chesterfield account
- calling our contact centre on 01246 345734
The replacement food caddy will be delivered to you free of charge.
We encourage all residents to give food waste recycling a try, as it helps to reduce waste going to landfill.
All households will receive a food waste caddy as part of the new legal requirement - we won’t be collecting or removing unwanted bins.
Yes - you can compost your food waste at home instead if you wish.
If you are unable to put your bin out yourself and there is no one in your household aged 16 or over who can help, you may qualify for an 'assisted collection' - find out more here.
If you already receive assisted collections, your food waste caddy will be collected in line with your current arrangements.
Food waste collections for communal properties will be introduced later in 2026.
Residents will be contacted in advance with further information.
Food waste is taken to a specialist treatment facility, where it is recycled rather than sent to landfill.
It is processed through anaerobic digestion, where it is broken down to produce:
- biogas, which can be used for energy
- biofertiliser, which is used on farmland
Yes - food waste collections are free of charge for residents.
No - introducing food waste collections does not mean your Council Tax will increase.