Simple steps to help you combat food waste

We’re proud to support Food Waste Action Week, taking place from 17 to 23 March 2025. This initiative encourages residents to take simple steps to reduce and recycle food waste, with plenty of local resources available to help.

Did you know that food waste makes up over 40% of Richmond upon Thames’s kerbside residual waste - which amounts to 1.9kg per household every week?

The best action against food waste is to reduce how much food is thrown away to begin with. However, our simple-to-use food waste recycling service helps to ensure that food scraps that do need to be thrown away are disposed of in an environmentally friendly way, that helps to generate green bio-gas and natural fertiliser.

We are continuing to expand our food recycling service to more properties around the borough with communal waste and recycling bins. Our goal is to provide food waste collections to all these properties where practicable by the end of 2025. 

Residents can also continue to pick up free rolls of compostable food waste caddy liners at each of our local libraries.

Find out more about food waste recycling, including how to leave your food waste out for collection, ordering your caddy, what you can and can’t recycle, and how to contact our team with questions.

Making small changes to how you shop for, store, and prepare food can have a significant impact not only on the environment but also on your savings. We have plenty of simple tips to help you reduce food waste and make the most of every meal.

You can also find plenty of information on the Eat Like a Londoner website, which offers advice on getting the most out of your weekly shop, recipes for cutting food waste, and tips and tricks to stop your food ending up in the bin.

Find out more about Food Waste Action Week.