Decision to be made on the introduction of food waste collections

Councillors are set to decide how food waste will be collected from residents’ homes ahead of new government  legislation.

From the end of March 2026, under the Environment Act,  local councils must collect food waste weekly from all residential properties.

On Tuesday 7 January, the council’s cabinet will meet to decide the best way for these food waste collections to be introduced in Darlington.
A number of options have been considered and the report to cabinet recommends that a new weekly food waste and recycling collection is introduced. General household waste will continue to be collected once a fortnight.

If the recommendation is approved, the new scheme is expected to start in 2026. Residents will receive a 5-7 litre caddy to keep in their kitchen for food waste and, in the first year, they will also receive 52 compostable caddy liners. Once the caddy is full, residents will be asked to empty it into a new outside food waste bin, also provided by the council, which will be collected every week.

The food waste that will be collected will include:

• all uneaten food and plate scrapings
• dairy products
• bread, cake, pastries
• raw meat, cooked meat, bones
• tea bags, ground coffee
• raw and cooked vegetables, fruit and peelings
• raw and cooked fish, fish bones
• rice, pasta, beans

The total level of funding that councils will receive from the government to introduce the changes has not been announced but is expected by summer 2025

.Libby McCollom, cabinet member for local services, said: “The Environment Act has a broad remit to improve air and water quality, protect wildlife and increase recycling and reduce plastic waste. It requires us by law, to introduce household food waste collections, which already take place in many towns and cities across the country.

“Although there will be no changes until 2026, and funding has not yet been finalised, we  need to decide how collections will work in Darlington so the right processes and systems can be put in place. By introducing weekly recycling, alongside food waste collections, I hope this preferred option sets the direction of travel, while making it easy for residents and helping to increase recycling rates.”