Food waste collections

We’ll be introducing a new weekly food waste collection service from October 2025. This will allow you to recycle up to a third of the waste that currently goes into black rubbish bins.

Under the Environment Act 2021 all local authorities in England must provide weekly food waste collections by April 2026. By doing so we want to improve our recycling rate. By separating food waste, we should be able to deliver over 20% increases in recycling rates across the district.

Many of the food waste collection details are still being planned, and we will share all updates on this page and through our other channels.

How will it work?

We’ll deliver a small container to use in the kitchen to every property alongside a larger caddy to put out with your waste or recycling bins for weekly collections.

For those living in flats, every property will be provided with a small kitchen container with a communal food waste wheeled bin placed in existing bin stores. Each site is currently being reviewed on a case-by-case basis to ensure we provide the right food waste containers.

What is food waste?

Food waste is any waste generated through the preparation of food, or where there are leftovers after a meal. This includes:

• fruit and vegetable peelings, cores and skins
• teabags and coffee grounds
• plate scrapings
• raw and cooked meat and fish, including bones and shells
• dairy products and eggshells
• bread, rice and pasta
• pet food

What will happen to my food waste?

The recycling process turns food waste into a biogas. This contains natural gas, which is a greener energy source than fossil fuels, and valuable soil products such as nutrient-rich compost and liquid fertiliser.

Plans for further recycling changes

Hampshire County Council is proposing to upgrade its recycling processing plant, meaning in the future we will be able to collect more recyclable items. These include plastic pots, tubs and trays and food and drink cartons. We’ll keep you updated about progress on these changes. 

Find out more about food waste changes

We will contact all residents directly with more detailed information closer to the start date of the service. We will also share regular updates through:

• this webpage
• our social media channels
• our residents’ email newsletter
• Hart News