Separate Weekly Food Waste Collections

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Your separate food waste collections

Food waste is collected weekly using a smaller, more secure container to encourage everyone to recycle food waste for a greener West Berkshire.

Collections take place on the same day as your black bin and recycling collections. You can recycle the below types of food waste:

meat and fish
fruit and vegetables (including pumpkins)
cheese and eggs
bread and pastries
uneaten food from plates
tea bags and coffee grounds

Please do not put bones from red meat, oils, liquids or fats into your caddy. Please do not put any packaging in the food waste bin.

Further details on what can or cannot be included in your separate food waste bin can be found on our Icon for pdf yes/no guide to food waste. [385KB] . You can find a video on how to use your food waste caddy on our YouTube channel here.

If you need a green 23-litre outside food waste caddy*, please order one here.

*If you currently place your waste into a communal bin store, your block of properties will have at least one purple 240-litre wheeled bin to share with your neighbours, instead of a green 23-litre outside food waste caddy.

The average family of four can save just over £60 per month by reducing their food waste. For information on how to reduce food waste, please see our webpage on Reducing Your Waste.

What happens to my food waste?

The food waste we collect from residents of West Berkshire is taken to our In-Vessel-Composter on Padworth Lane, Padworth in West Berkshire. There, it is turned into a PAS100-certified soil conditioner for use by local farmers and landscapers.

Compostable liners

Please only use compostable liners for your food waste. The kitchen caddies we supply have a 5-litre capacity. You can purchase liners from Compost Bag UK and most supermarkets.

You may also want to consider starting your own composter.

Replacement inside food waste caddies

Unfortunately, we're unable to replace inside caddies that have been broken or lost.

You can find a reasonably cheap replacement at larger supermarkets, in hardware shops or from an internet retailer.

If you need a green 23-litre outside food waste caddy, please order one here.

Top tips for food waste recycling

Change your caddy liner every 3-4 days or when it gets three quarters full to avoid the liner splitting.

Keep the lid of your food waste caddy closed when not in use with the handle in the locked position. If you have pets, please store the caddy where they cannot gain access to it.

Put your food waste caddy out for collection every week even if only one bag inside, it is the most frequently collected bin so this will reduce any smells.

If your caddy gets dirty, it can easily be rinsed out to keep it fresh and clean.