New Weekly Food Waste Collections

By March 2026, the majority of residents will receive:
• A 7-litre grey kitchen caddy
• A 23-litre external grey food waste unit
Both provided free of charge.

Residents can place any food waste, including raw or cooked meat and bones, dairy, eggshells, tea bags, coffee grounds, vegetables, and fruit into their kitchen caddy before transferring it to the external food waste unit for weekly collection.

As part of the rollout, HDC will not be supplying sacks for food waste collection. However, householders may choose to line their kitchen caddies with either compostable liners or sheets of newspaper to help contain their waste and keep caddies clean. Compostable liners are widely available for purchase from a variety of outlets, including most major supermarkets
and online retailers.

For properties with communal waste collection arrangements, each household will be provided with a 7-litre kitchen caddy for the storage of food waste. These residents will have access to a shared communal food waste bin, where they can empty the contents of their caddy. HDC are currently working closely with property managers and housing providers to assess the specific needs of each site and ensure appropriate facilities and arrangements are in place.

This new service is part of HDC’s efforts to support national changes to household recycling and reduce the amount of food that ends up in landfill.

While we are making food waste recycling easier, HDC also encourage residents to reduce the amount of food they throw away. Free materials and guidance are available to help households do just that through the Love Food Hate Waste campaign.