Weekly food waste collections set to start in November

Harborough District Council will begin the service from 3 November 2026, subject to the delivery of its new food waste vehicle fleet, as part of the national Simpler Recycling reforms which are a statutory requirement by government.

Under the scheme, food waste will be collected every week, while general waste and recycling will continue to be collected fortnightly.

The council’s current waste collection contractor will operate the new food waste service and manage the distribution of food waste caddies via a third party to all eligible properties until 31 March 2027.

Arrangements for service delivery beyond this date are currently being progressed through the procurement of a new Environmental Services contract.

As part of the service launch, households will receive food waste containers and one roll of bin liners. There will be a 7-litre caddy for indoor use and a 23-litre for presentation on the kerbside each week.

Food waste collected will be sent to the anaerobic digestion plant where it will be converted into biofertiliser and renewable energy.

Cllr Darren Woodiwiss, Cabinet Lead for Climate Change and Neighbourhood Services, said: “The introduction of weekly food waste collections is an important step forward in helping residents to recycle more and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

“By separating food waste, we can ensure it is put to good use, generating renewable energy and valuable biofertiliser, while also supporting our wider environmental and climate objectives.

“We are committed to making this new service as straightforward as possible and will provide the support needed to help households make the most of it.”

For further details about food waste collections visit: www.harborough.gov.uk/info/20007/environmental_services/621/food_waste

Residents can also find out more information by reading the report approved by Cabinet on 23 March 2026, available at: https://cmis.harborough.gov.uk/cmis5/Meetings.aspx