The Government is requiring all councils to provide separate food waste collections as part of its UK-wide plans for simpler recycling. These must be introduced in 2026. Rutland’s new food waste collection service will begin at the end of March and there is a lot of information to share, to help residents get ready. With this in mind, the attached toolkit has been produced for Parish Councils, so that you have as much detail as possible.

In terms of the new service itself, Rutland County Council will be providing households with two food waste receptacles: a small kitchen caddy for indoor use and a larger outdoor caddy for kerbside collection. Food waste collections will take place every week on normal black and grey bin collection days. As part of this change and to encourage use of the new food waste service, current 240litre black bins will be replaced with smaller 140litre black bins. Grey recycling bins will stay the same size and we are not introducing any new or different containers that would require people to separate their dry mixed recycling.

Rutland County Council will start swapping large black wheelie bins for smaller 140litre bins from Monday 2 March 2026 onwards. New food waste caddies will start to be delivered to households from Monday 9 March 2026 onwards. Separate weekly food waste collections will start from Monday 30 March 2026.

Please read through the toolkit, (by clicking on the below link) which includes a detailed set of FAQs that cover all aspects of the new food waste service. This information can also be found on Rutland County Council’s website at: www.rutland.gov.uk/recycling.

Food waste toolkit – February 2026

If you have any questions, please email me.

Kind regards,
Mat Waik, Communications Service Manager
Rutland County Council, Catmose, Oakham, Rutland. LE15 6HP
e: communications@rutland.gov.uk

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