Councils across our region are to be given a share in £295 million to invest in regular food waste collections.
The money is expected to fund weekly food waste collections by 31 March 2026, providing both new food waste containers for homes and specialist collection vehicles, targeted at local authorities that have yet to fully put food waste service in place.
Councils covered include:
- Boston Borough Council; £728k
- Bradford; £3.6m
- East Lindsey District Council; £1.4m
- East Rising of Yorkshire: £2.9m
- Hull City Council; £1.5m
- Leeds City Council; £6.9m
- Lincoln City Council; £829k
- North Lincolnshire; £1.5m
- North East Lincolnshire; £1.5m
- North Kesteven £936k
- South Kesteven; £1.4m
- West Lindsey; £1m
According to Recycling Minister Robbie Moore, the MP for Keighley and Ilkley, more than ten million tonnes of food is wasted every year in the UK, with much sent to landfill. Separate collections of food waste from every household will prevent contamination of other waste which could be usefully recycled, as well as ensuring that food waste can be sent to anaerobic digestion facilities rather than needlessly lost to landfill. Directing food waste to these plants will generate more sustainable energy to power homes and businesses, and cut down the more than 18 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions associated with this waste.
He said: “Weekly food waste collections are a central plank in delivering a simpler, easier recycling system for all. It will help to stop food waste heading to landfill and support our goals of tackling both waste and climate change. We’re backing councils with new funding to ensure the nation can benefit and recycle more.”
Claire Shrewsbury, Director of Insights and Innovations WRAP, said: “Weekly food waste collections will give recycling in England an important boost and help reduce the impact of food waste on climate change. Our research shows that when food waste collections are introduced, and people see how much food goes to waste in their home, they want to do something about it. And with food waste costing a household of four around £1,000 a year, weekly collections will not only help prevent food waste in the first place, but utilise the food waste collected to generate green energy and compost.”
The funding is part of the government’s Simpler Recycling plans – meaning that people across England will be able to recycle the same materials, and ending the confusing patchwork of rules governing what can and can’t be recycled in different parts of the country.
