Warrington residents have until 24 September to share their views on the borough’s new food waste collection service, which launches in March 2026.
The service is being introduced to comply with national legislation requiring all local authorities to offer a separate, weekly food waste collection. As part of the preparations, the council launched a survey in mid-August to understand residents’ food recycling habits and needs better.
Almost 1,000 residents have already shared their opinions, with a large proportion of respondents positive about the new service.
With the survey running until 24 September, there is still time for residents to get involved and have their say.
The survey asks a range of questions, including whether people plan to use the service regularly, what might encourage or discourage them from recycling their food waste, and what additional support or advice they may need.
The survey has helped identify some common misconceptions about the new service, including:
- There will be a change in black bin collection frequency: Some residents have expressed concerns their fortnightly black bin collections will change. This is not the case. Your black bin collections will continue as normal with no change in frequency or collection times.
- There’s a cost for the service and caddy liners: The service is free and all caddy liners will be provided free of charge. When you run out of liners, simply tie a liner to the handle of your caddy to let us know, and we’ll leave you a new roll.
- Leaving out food waste is unhygienic and attracts insects and vermin: A weekly food waste collection is actually more hygienic. Food waste makes up a significant portion of our general waste. Separating it and collecting it weekly reduces the time food sits in your bin, helping to deter pests and vermin. The amount of food waste remains the same – it’s simply being stored in a separate, more secure caddy and collected more frequently. The new 23-litre outdoor caddies are also lockable, so residents don’t need to worry about animals getting into them.
Cllr John Kerr Brown, Warrington Borough Council’s cabinet member responsible for waste and recycling, said: “This is a national initiative, with councils across the country gearing up for the launch of their food waste collections, and we want to ensure we deliver the best possible service for the people of Warrington. To do that, it’s important we listen to residents’ views and address any questions and concerns they may have.
“We’ve been pleased with the excellent response to our food waste survey so far and that so many residents are positive about the new service. We want to hear the views of as many people as possible, so if you haven’t had your say already, please do so.
“Recycling food waste is incredibly important as it helps us reduce our environmental impact, increase our recycling rates, and produce energy and rich bio-fertilizer. It also helps us save money that can be reinvested into other essential council services.”
The new 5-litre and 23-litre caddies will begin being delivered to households from the end of September to ensure everyone has them in time for the launch of the new service. Residents should store their caddies until collections begin in March 2026. Please do not put your caddy out for collection before 31 March 2026, as it will not be collected.
Warrington’s food waste survey runs until Wednesday 24 September. For more information, and to take part in the survey, visit warrington.gov.uk/foodwaste
