Can you recycle food waste?

Cooked or raw, meat, fish, bones, peelings, plate scrapings, mouldy leftovers — all go in the food caddy where it's turned into biogas and fertiliser by anaerobic digestion. Weekly food waste collections became mandatory across England on 31 March 2026 (Wales and Scotland already had them). Food in the dry recycling bin is contamination.

Tips

• Line the caddy with newspaper or compostable liners — never ordinary plastic bags unless your council says so
• No packaging in the caddy, even 'compostable' film, unless your council explicitly allows liners

Which bin does it go in?

Food waste caddy — every English council must collect it weekly from March 2026; never the recycling bin.

Background: Home composting: turn half your bin into free soil.

Also searched as: leftovers, food scraps, caddy, kitchen waste.