Residents in Solihull are being encouraged to start using their food waste caddies ahead of new weekly collections which begin from Monday 5 October.
The new service will be delivered by Solihull Council’s recycling and waste collections partner Veolia and is part of the Government’s Simpler Recycling scheme, which is designed to make recycling easier and more consistent across England.
Simply line your kitchen caddy with any bag apart from a black bag, or not line it at all. The bags are removed during processing before the food waste is recycled.
Most food waste can go in your caddy – such as plate scrapings, peelings and tea bags – but liquids cannot.
When your kitchen caddy is full, empty it into your new outdoor food caddy and ensure it is locked. You can put your house number on your outdoor caddy and place it out by 6am on your normal collection day.
As residents will be recycling more and putting less waste into their rubbish bin, most households will have their rubbish collected fortnightly instead of weekly from Monday 5 October. Recycling and garden waste collections (if subscribed) will stay the same and you can check your collection calendar online.
Solihull Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, Cllr Ken Hawkins, said:
“This new weekly service will make it easier for residents to recycle food waste and gives cut down on the amount of food thrown away, whilst saving themselves money.
“It will also contribute to a cleaner, greener Solihull. Rather than burning food waste, the food collected will be sent to a local food waste facility and turned into fertiliser for local farms and renewable energy, making it better for our environment.”
Susan Cummine, Senior Contract Manager at Veolia, said:
"By introducing the food waste collection service to households in Solihull, we’re giving residents the opportunity to convert even more of their waste into valuable resources.
“Recycling food waste at home is one of the best ways for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint, so we’re excited to start rolling the service out over the coming weeks in partnership with Solihull Council.”
Due to the different arrangements required, those who live in flats and do not have their own bins will receive the service in 2027. The Council will provide further information in the new year.
Residents are being reminded the Council does not collect additional waste presented next to the black bin. Further advice and information on managing your waste is available on the Council’s website.
Anyone who has not received their caddy can report a missed delivery online.
For more details and a full list of what can and can't go in the caddies, visit www.solihull.gov.uk/collection-changes.