We are aware of some delays in collecting food waste caddies. If your whole street has been affected then please leave out your caddies as our waste team will collect them. If it's just your property that has been missed please report it online.
Food Waste
If you you need a food waste container please report it online.
Food waste is collected weekly in your brown outdoor caddy. You can include:
• all leftovers, including pet food and plate scrapings
• dairy, cheese and eggs (including shells)
• bread and pastries
• pasta and rice
• meat, bones and carcasses
• tea bags and coffee grounds
• fruit and vegetable peelings
• fish bones and carcasses
For more information on what you can include in your caddy, including details of how to line your caddy see our food waste leaflet.
Reduce food waste
Avoidable food waste is food that could have consumed or used for another purpose.
Examples of avoidable food waste found in purple-lidded bins include:
- unopened bags of salad
- partly used loaves of bread (including their packaging)
- fruit and vegetable peelings
- unopened food that had gone past its use by date
All of the above could have been placed in the food waste caddy. The packaging can be recycled, please view our A-Z for more information.
Join our Waste Warriors group
If you want to discuss recycling with other like-minded waste conscious groups or individuals, then you could join our Waste Warriors group on Facebook. It's a forum for sharing and encouraging engagement in waste reduction, recycling ideas and best practice. We also encourage members to share beyond the group, to spread recycling awareness among friends. With an already keen and active community taking part, we welcome more members to spread positive and thought-provoking content.
How to make the most of your food
More than 80% of food waste is avoidable. The main reasons for throwing away food are:
- cooking or preparing too much
- forgetting to freeze or chill food to use later
- forgetting what food is in the cupboards
You can visit the Love Food Hate Waste website for new ideas and updates related to food waste.
Ideas for leftovers
Download the easy recipes below and make your leftovers into something tasty.
Watch this video from WasteAware, a partnership between Hertfordshire County Council and the county’s 10 district and borough councils. It aims to help residents reduce their food waste and save money through four simple steps: plan ahead, store correctly, cook what you need and recycle what you can’t eat.
There are more recipes available at Love Food Hate Waste.
