Food waste

If you live in a house your food waste is collected every week on your collection day. You should have two food waste bins, a small silver kitchen caddy which you can empty into your larger green outdoor food waste bin. The outdoor bin has a handle that locks the lid.

Your outside food waste bin should be put out by 6.00am on your property boundary. This may be collected at a different time to your recycling or rubbish bin.

If you live in a flat your service may be different. More details can be found on our collections from flats page.

Yes please

  • All cooked and uncooked food
  • Tea bags and coffee grounds
  • Fruit and vegetable peelings
  • Egg shells
  • Meat
  • Fish bones and skin
  • Mouldy bread, cakes and pastries
  • Food that’s passed its use by date

No thanks

  • Liquids like milk, yoghurt, oil, fat
  • Packaging (except plastic bags that are used as caddy liners)
  • Black bags

Lining your caddy

You can line your food waste caddy with plastic bags or liners, which makes it easier and cleaner to recycle your food.

You can use anything from old shopping bags to bread or salad bags – or you can use newspaper or leftover compostable liners. Please don’t include black bin bags or other food packaging.

What happens to the food waste?

After it is collected food waste is taken to an anaerobic digestion (AD) facility. Here the liners are removed and sent to an energy from waste plant and turned into electricity. Through AD, micro-organisms break down the food waste producing biogas which is collected and used to generate electricity, heat and transport fuel. It also creates biofertiliser that can be used in farming and land regeneration.

Find out more about anaerobic digestion on the Surrey Environment Partnership website.

Food waste reduction

You can find out how to reduce your food waste, including tips on planning, portion sizes, keeping food fresh and recipes, by visiting the Surrey Environment Partnership website.

Home composting

You can also compost your food waste at home to produce a nutritious compost which you can then use on your garden. You can get advice and buy a compost bin from just £13 from the Surrey Environment Partnership website.

See also