Green container: food waste - coming soon

Your new food waste recycling collection service

In line with the Environment Act 2021 and the Government's Simpler Recycling reforms, a new scheme is being introduced across the country, with a weekly household food waste recycling collection service due to start from 31 March 2026.

From January 2026, we will provide all Derby city households with:

• an outdoor, dark green, 23 litre lockable food waste container, which we will empty weekly
• an indoor, light grey, 5 litre kitchen caddy
• and a printed guide with more information about this new collection.

The new green 23 litre food waste container is a new outdoor bin, and smaller than our wheelie bins - only 40cm tall, with enough space to accommodate your weekly food waste. If you regularly fill your container before collection day, you can request an additional container.

The new bins are free for residents, and will be delivered from the new year.

When you receive them, put your house number on the outdoor container and do not use it until the service starts on 31 March 2026.

If you currently use your brown bin to recycle food waste with your garden waste, you can keep doing that until 30 March 2026. However from 31 March 2026, your brown bin will be for garden waste only and your new green container will be for food waste only.

Flats or shared properties

If you live in a flat or shared property, we will provide a system that suits your building. This may include shared outdoor food waste bins rather than individual containers. Details will be given before the service starts.

How to get started

It’s easy to recycle your food waste, simply follow these steps:

1. Line your kitchen caddy, before you put your food waste in it.
2. Any liner will do, as they are all removed before the food waste recycling process starts. Surprisingly, plastic bags are preferred as they are easier to remove, so chose whatever suits you best, such as bread bags, potato bags, frozen food bags, carrier bags or plastic liners. You may also use compostable liners if you chose to.
3. When full, remove the liner, tie the top and put it in your outdoor food waste recycling container. Remember to lock the container by closing the lid and leaving the handle in the upright or forward position to avoid unwanted animals.
4. Please put your food recycling container out for collection, at the kerbside, by 6:30am every week on your collection day. Ensure the lid is closed and leave the handle in the upright position to help with collection.
5. If you forget to put your food waste bin out, we’ll be back the following week.

Top tip: If you don’t like to use a kitchen caddy and prefer to dispose of food directly in to your outdoor bin – that’s ok! Just line your green container to help keep it clean and remember to lock the lid after use!

What goes in your container

Your green container is for food waste only. From kitchen scraps, peelings and leftovers to plate scrapings, this bin helps you recycle everyday food that can’t go in other bins.

Your green container accepts:

• All uneaten food and plate scrapings.
• Raw meat, cooked meat and bones.
• Raw fish, cooked fish and bones.
• Dairy products, cheese and egg.
• Teabags and coffee grounds.
• Rice, pasta and beans.
• Bread, cakes and pastries.
• Raw vegetables, cooked vegetables, whole fruit and peelings.
• Mouldy and out of date food, including ready meals.

If you're unsure where something should go, try our online Recycling Helper - it gives instant answers for hundreds of everyday items.

What not to put in your container

• Items which are not food, this includes food packaging such as plastic, glass, metal or cardboard. 
• Liquids like cooking oil or milk.

Top tip: take care to only include your food waste, as we will be unable to collect containers which are contaminated with the wrong materials.

Why you should recycle your food waste

• Recycling food waste is significantly cheaper. Disposing of food waste in your black bin costs almost 6 times more than recycling it in your new green container.
• Around one third of the average black bin (by weight) is food waste. Your black bin will be less full, and you will benefit from a more regular collection of your food waste.
• The new recycling service gives you the opportunity to recycle more.
• Food waste that is recycled will be converted into natural forms of energy and fertilisers.
• Food waste that is disposed with the black bin doesn’t harmlessly breakdown. It has a big carbon footprint. Recycling food waste with the new service is the best option to reduce this impact.

How food waste recycling works

This system is different from home composting. It can accept all types of food waste, including bones and carcasses, raw meat and dairy products, as well as the bags and liners used to keep containers clean.

Derby’s food waste will be sent for recycling through a process called anaerobic digestion. This process uses microorganisms to break down food waste in the absence of oxygen, inside an enclosed system. As it breaks down it gives off methane, which is collected and converted into biogas and used to generate renewable energy. It also creates a nutrient-rich digestate that can be used as a fertiliser for agriculture and in land regeneration.