Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet are set to make a decision on the proposed introduction of a new weekly food waste collection and an optional, chargeable, garden waste collection service.
Following the successful launch of the new recycling and waste collection service in September 2024, Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet will be considering the introduction of new household food and garden waste collections at their next meeting on Thursday 1 May 2025.
These exciting new services will help to achieve the ambitious recycling targets within the council’s waste strategy, by providing residents with additional opportunities to recycle. Combined, the food and garden waste collections could increase recycling rates from 40 percent to 58 percent.
There will be no changes to the existing household waste and recycling collections when the new services are introduced.
Food waste collection service
All councils are currently required to provide a weekly food waste collection service by law from March 2026. Whilst we are still awaiting the new grant allocations from central government to sufficiently fund this in our county, the proposal being discussed by Cabinet will allow the Council to prepare for a smooth introduction of the service when funding does become available.
If the proposal is approved, all households will be provided with a small food waste caddy to use in the kitchen, and a larger outside caddy to use for collection. There will be a weekly collection of any waste food including leftovers, eggshells, tea bags and coffee grounds.
The new service would only start when Government funding has been provided.
Garden waste collection service
The proposed new garden waste collection service would be an optional service that residents can choose to pay for.
If approved, the fortnightly collection service will replace the existing green garden sack service by the end of March 2026, and would operate all year round (apart from Christmas and New Year).
A new brown bin would be provided to residents who choose to subscribe to the service, which would be used to collect lawn cuttings, hedge clippings, leaves, twigs and small branches, dead flowers and weeds.
Further details are available on the council website.
Residents are also reminded of the new waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) collections. Simply remove any batteries from your broken small electrical items (such as irons, hairdryers and alarm clocks) and place it on top of your bin, and put batteries in a plastic bag also on top of the bin, on either recycling or waste collection day.
