Food waste recycling

We recycle your food waste and turn it into energy and fertiliser. This saves money and helps the environment.

Food waste collections

We collect food waste from houses, converted houses, and some purpose-built flats in the borough.

Purpose-built flats

We are rolling out food waste collections to more than 18,000 flats, following a successful trial.

If you would like to find out if your flats are suitable for food waste collections, please contact foodrecycling@richmond.gov.uk.

Assisted collections

If you already receive an assisted rubbish collection, you will also receive an assisted food waste collection.

How to leave your food waste out

Food waste is collected weekly on your usual collection day.

Make sure your outdoor food waste caddy is available for collection by 6am on your collection day. It can be placed next to your recycling boxes and/or rubbish sacks, just inside the front entrance to your property if you have a front garden or driveway.

If you live in a purpose-built flat your food waste will be collected from the communal food waste recycling bins.

If your food waste isn't collected you can report it as a missed collection.

Your food waste caddy will not be emptied if it contains any items we cannot recycle.

What you can and can't recycle

You can put this food waste in your food waste caddy:

• Plate scrapings
• Bread and pastries
• Fruit and vegetables (including fruit stones)
• Meat and bones (cooked or uncooked)
• Eggshells
• Dairy products (e.g. cheese)
• Tea and coffee grounds
• Fish and bones (cooked or uncooked)

You can recycle any mouldy or out of date food including ready meals – just remove the packaging.

You can't put this waste in your food waste caddy:

• Liquid food waste, milk or oils
• Biodegradable plastic coffee pods
• Compostable packaging (except compostable caddy liners)
• Any other plastics/bio plastics (e.g. Vegware)
• Paper or kitchen roll (except to line the caddy)
• Foil or cling film
• Garden waste

Food waste caddies

Households are supplied with:

• A green indoor caddy (5 litre)
• A green outdoor caddy (23 litre)

You will also get a roll of compostable caddy liners to get you started.

The small indoor food waste caddy can be kept in your kitchen. It has no vents and is designed to contain odours. It can be emptied into your larger outdoor caddy throughout the week.

The large external litre food waste caddy should be stored outside with the handle in the 'up' position to lock the lid and protect it from animals.

Lining your caddy

Lining your caddy can help keep it clean and odour free. Alternatively, just rinse it out when needed.

Compostable starch liners are recommended, but you can also use old newspaper or paper bags if you prefer. Compostable liners are made of corn or potato starch and will biodegrade completely in as few as 30 days in a controlled commercial process.

When purchasing liners, ensure they are marked as conforming to composting standard EN13432 and display the 'seedling' logo below.

Do not use any other liner (such as plastic bags or kitchen roll) as they are not accepted.

Order a food caddy

You can order a free food waste caddy for your household.

Broken caddies can be collected for recycling when we deliver a replacement - just leave the old caddy inside your front garden entrance.

How food is recycled

The food waste you produce is sent to an anaerobic digestion facility, where it’s turned into renewable energy and an agricultural fertiliser.

Find out what happens to your food waste recycling.

Reducing food waste

Reducing food waste and recycling as much as you can helps to reduce both environmental impacts and costs. 

Find out how to reduce food waste at home.

Home composting

You can produce your own compost at home using leftovers and food scraps. Find out how to compost at home.

Contact

If you have any questions about food waste collections you can contact us on foodrecycling@richmond.gov.uk.