Use this page to request a food waste bin or caddy, apply for extra capacity, arrange an assisted collection and find out how to use the service.
You can also find information about what to put in your food caddy, collection days, home composting and food waste collections for flats and communal properties.
Request a food waste bin or caddy
- Get a replacement outdoor food caddy if your current caddy is missing, lost or damaged.
- Request bins for a new build or new property if there are no bins at your address.
- Apply for a larger or additional bin if your household needs extra capacity.
- Apply for an assisted collection if you cannot move your bins to the collection point yourself.
Check your collection day
Food waste is collected every week.
Find your next collection using the collection calendar.
Food waste collection
- Put your outdoor food caddy out by 7am on your collection day.
- Lock your caddy before collection to help keep animals and pests away.
- Return your caddy to your property as soon as possible after it has been emptied.
What you can put in your food caddy
- Collect food waste indoors using a kitchen caddy or another container with a lid.
- Empty the contents into your outdoor food caddy.
- You can wrap food waste in newspaper or use a compostable liner.
- Do not put packaging or other non-food waste in your food caddy.
- Check what can and cannot go in your food caddy.
Why recycle food waste?
Around 30% of waste in grey bins across Essex is food waste so recycling helps reduce what goes in general rubbish.
Food waste collected from your caddy is turned into renewable energy and fertiliser.
Find out more on the Love Essex food recycling page.
'Power Up' with food recycling, the Love Essex initiative
Find out more about 'Power Up' with food recycling, our campaign with Love Essex to help residents make the most of their weekly food recycling collection service. Learn more about the Power Up campaign.
Storing your bins
- Only put your food caddy out by 7am on your collection day.
- Keep bins and waste within the boundary of your property between collections.
- Leaving bins or waste outside your property boundary may lead to enforcement action under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Home composting
You can compost some uncooked food waste at home.
Home composting helps you recycle garden and kitchen waste and produces compost that can be used around your garden.
Find out more on our composting page.
Find out more on the Love Essex food recycling page.
