All households in Crowborough and across the Wealden district will soon be receiving new “caddies” for food waste.
The district council has provided details of the equipment that will be issued to homes ahead of the launch of its new weekly food waste collection service which starts in March 2026.
Every household issued with the “caddies” – a small one with liners for use inside the home for collecting food scraps, and a larger one for outside which will be collected by the new food waste service. Households with communal bins will have an even larger collection caddy.
The council’s existing waste contractor, Biffa, will be delivering the collection service and 20 new collection vehicles have been ordered and have been manufactured in Scotland. Biffa said it had been carrying out analysis for the new waste collection. It’s not yet clear how the collection rounds will, or won’t, align with existing waste and recycling routes and rounds.
All households will also receive information about how to use the caddies, what can be put in them, and what day they will be collected.
The food waste scheme is being introduced across the whole East Sussex Joint Waste Partnership – made up of Hastings Borough, Rother District and Wealden District councils and was first announced when the contract with Biffa was extended to June 2033, in January last year.
By law all local authorities will have to have a food waste collection service in place by 31 March 2026, and funding for the scheme is coming from the Govt.
The council said food waste collection was an important part of increasing the amount of waste we recycle, reducing our impact on the environment and helping to tackle climate change. Food waste makes up about 30% of the average household waste bin. “By using your food caddy you will free up space in your rubbish bins and help cut down on the amount of waste going to incineration.” A spokesperson said.
Speaking last year, Cllr James Partridge, the leader of the council, said: “The extension of our contract with Biffa is great news for Wealden residents. It will secure a high quality, value for money, waste collection and cleaning service for another seven years and mean we can focus on improving waste management services, promoting recycling, and providing a cleaner, more sustainable environment for our district.”
For more information about the scheme visit: https://www.wealden.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/how-does-your-service-work/food-waste/food-waste-faqs/