Food waste: what goes in the caddy, and who collects it

Updated 24 Oct 2026

If your council collects food waste, almost any food can go in the caddy: leftovers, plate scrapings, fruit and veg peelings, bread, meat and fish bones, tea bags and coffee grounds. Packaging, cooking oil and compostable packaging don't go in, unless your council says otherwise.

Most councils now collect food waste, and most in England collect it every week. Some haven't started yet. Each item below links to its own page, where you can choose your council and see its rule.

What goes in the caddy

Raw and cooked food both go in, including bones, shells and the bits you'd never eat. Scrape plates straight into the caddy, and take food out of its packaging first: the packaging goes in your recycling or general waste.

What stays out

Never pour cooking oil down the sink or into the caddy. Soak up small amounts with kitchen roll and put it in the bin, and take larger amounts to a recycling centre. Compostable or biodegradable packaging usually goes in your general waste, even when it says compostable on it. Caddy liners are a separate question: your council's page says which liners it accepts, if any.

Who collects it, and how often

England: councils have had to collect food waste every week since 31 March 2026, though some have permission to start later. Most collect it weekly. A few, including Manchester, Wigan and Bury, collect it every fortnight.

Wales: every council collects food waste every week.

Scotland: most councils collect it, weekly or fortnightly. Some rural areas have no collection, so use your general waste or a home compost bin.

Northern Ireland: food usually goes in the brown bin with garden waste, or in a food caddy where your council gives you one. It never goes in the black bin.

The food waste ranking lists every council we cover, with how often it collects.

Councils starting soon

These councils have published start dates. Wolverhampton starts weekly collections for houses in the week of 26 October 2026, with flats following later. Charnwood and Halton start in the week of 2 November 2026, and South Holland in the week of 9 November 2026. Harborough starts in the week of 1 April 2027. Wiltshire says 2027, and its committee papers give 1 August 2027.

Fylde is bringing collections in by area: the first homes started in the week of 12 October 2026, and other homes follow in stages. In Leeds, only a trial area has a food collection at the moment, and the council aims for a citywide weekly collection by 2029/30.

Until your council starts, put food in your general waste or compost what you can at home. Our Simpler Recycling guide covers the other changes in England.

Common questions

Do all councils collect food waste weekly?

Not yet. Every council in Wales does, and most in England do. Some English councils collect it fortnightly or haven't started, and some rural parts of Scotland have no collection. See the food waste ranking.

Can tea bags go in food waste?

Yes, if your council collects food waste. See tea bags for your council's rule.

Can I put cooking oil in the food caddy?

No. Soak up small amounts with kitchen roll and put it in the bin, and take larger amounts to a recycling centre. See cooking oil.

What do I do if my council doesn't collect food waste?

Use your general waste bin until it starts, or compost what you can at home. The food waste ranking shows when councils say they'll start.

Sources

Each item's answer above comes from the national guidance in our data. Your council's own rules can differ: choose your council on any item page, or check its website.