Crawley’s new weekly food waste collections are set to begin, and residents are being encouraged to start filling their kitchen caddies and outdoor bins.

The change means many households will be able to separate food scraps from their other rubbish for the first time. Their general waste collections will move to a fortnightly schedule as the weekly food waste service begins, on Monday, September 28.

In a Facebook post, Crawley Borough Council said: “With less than a week to go ‘til we launch our new weekly food waste collections, now is a good time to start using your caddies and bins.

"From tea bags, banana skins and plate scrapings, to egg shells, peelings and bones, no matter how small, it can be recycled.”

Crawley’s new weekly food waste collections are set to begin, and residents are being encouraged to start filling their kitchen caddies and outdoor bins.

placeholder image — Crawley’s new weekly food waste collections are set to begin, and residents are being encouraged to start filling their kitchen caddies and outdoor bins.

The council says pet food can also go in the food waste bin. Pet bedding and pet waste, however, must be put in the general waste bin.

Residents should remove all packaging and plastic from food before putting it in the outdoor food waste bin.

The council warns on its website: “Incorrect items mean your bin won't be emptied.”

But will households be required to use the new service? The answer is no. According to the council’s website, ‘food waste collections are strongly encouraged but not compulsory’.

The council says it is required to give households the opportunity to recycle food waste, so it must deliver an outdoor bin and kitchen caddy even to residents who do not intend to use them.

Choosing not to take part will not preserve weekly general waste collections for households covered by the rollout. They will still receive a general waste collection every two weeks, and the council states: “No general waste that isn't inside your bin will be collected.”

There is a different timetable for properties with communal waste collection facilities. These will remain on their current weekly general waste service for now, with weekly food waste collections due to be introduced in 2027.

For residents concerned about smells or pests, the council recommends keeping lids closed and locked, moving scraps from the kitchen caddy to the outdoor bin regularly, cleaning both containers and storing bins out of direct sunlight. Particularly smelly food can be wrapped in newspaper or placed in a compostable liner.

Residents do not have to keep buying liners after those supplied with their caddy run out. Food waste can be placed loose in the caddy, while a sheet of kitchen roll or newspaper can help soak up liquids. The council recommends seven-litre compostable liners for those who choose to buy more.

Plastic bags can be used to line a kitchen caddy, but the council recommends reusing bags already at home, such as bread bags or carrier bags. It says most bags are removed during processing, although it is not possible to remove every trace of plastic.

Collected food waste will be taken to an anaerobic digestion facility, where it can be used to generate biogas and fertiliser for farming. The council says around 44 per cent of Crawley’s general waste is food waste.

Households that regularly produce more food waste than fits in the standard outdoor bin can request a second bin here: https://my.crawley.gov.uk/service/bin_changes