Council launches weekly food waste collections this February

Lancaster City Council is reintroducing a weekly food waste collection service to households across the district to comply with the Government’s Simpler Recycling reforms.

This national initiative requires all councils in England to collect household food waste separately by 31 March 2026 to boost recycling rates and reduce the amount of waste ending up in landfill or incineration.

Residents will receive everything they need to get started directly to their homes during February and March 2026, including:

• A seven-litre kitchen caddy
• A 23-litre external food waste bin (or a communal bin where appropriate)
• Two rolls of kitchen caddy liners
• A leaflet with instructions on how to use the service
• A printed waste and recycling collection calendar

The new service accepts all types of food waste, including: leftovers; dairy products; fruit; vegetables; rice; pasta; beans; baked goods; meat; fish; bones; tea bags; and coffee grounds.

Starting the week following delivery, all collections will take place from the front of each property on the same day as waste or recycling collections.

Once collected, the waste will go to Lancashire County Council’s anaerobic digestion facility in Leyland to be transformed into renewable biogas for electricity, and nutrient-rich fertiliser for farmland.

To celebrate the launch, Lancaster City Council will place 15 golden tickets in food caddies, with prizes such as a £200 Love2shop voucher.

Councillor Paul Hart, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, said: “It’s a simple change that makes a big difference. Recycling food waste is a win for households and our environment.

“On average, 28% of the district’s grey bin waste is made up of food which could be recycled. The best thing we can do is buy the food we need and eat the food we buy. However, sometimes food waste is unavoidable.

“Whilst supporting national efforts to cut carbon emissions by making use of this valuable resource, residents will also have more space in grey bins and notice what waste is being produced and ways to reduce it — which could save them money.”

The council has received around £1.46million in funding from the government to support the roll-out of food waste collections, which includes new vehicles, the creation of 33 new roles, and caddies for each household.

To help households get familiar with the new service, waste officers will host drop‑in sessions across the district, offering demonstrations and answering questions at the following locations:

• Wednesday, 7 January from 10am to 12pm at Bolton-le-Sands Library
• Thursday, 8 January from 10am to 4pm at Morrisons in Morecambe
• Thursday, 15 and Friday 16 January from 10am to 4pm at Asda Lancaster Superstore
• Tuesday, 20 January from 10am to 12pm at Heysham Library 

To find out more about this new service or the prizes, please visit our waste service webpages.

Last updated: 07 January 2026