Go for weekly food waste collections

Weekly food waste collections have started in Basingstoke and Deane helping to boost the amount you recycle and reduce how much you waste.

Thank you for separating out your food waste to create greener energy and fertiliser. If you haven't used the weekly food waste collection service yet, you can start filling your lined indoor silver food waste caddy any time.

Food waste is collected weekly on the same day as your waste and recycling, unless we have written to you, to tell you otherwise. It will be collected by a separate vehicle to your general waste.

Follow the simple steps listed below and put out your large green caddy on your usual bin collection day by 6am with your other containers. For those of you using communal bins please use the shared food waste bins.

Check your bin collection days

Your caddy kit

You should have received:

• a silver indoor caddy
• a roll of 52 liners
• a ‘Get Set’ information leaflet
  

and for outside

• homes with wheeled bins collected at the kerbside will have also received a green outdoor caddy
• or, if you use communal waste bins, a shared bin for food waste.

If you have not received your caddy pack, please contact us by emailing customer.service@basingstoke.gov.uk or by calling 01256 844844.

Follow these four simple steps to food waste recycling success:

What's on the menu - food waste recycling at a glance

You can recycle all of your food waste including:

Yes please

• vegetables and fruit including peelings, cores and stones
  
  
  
  
• raw and cooked meat and bones
• pumpkins - please see the food waste questions below for details
• tea and coffee bags and coffee grounds
• dairy products and cheese
• eggshells
• raw and cooked fish bones and shells
• bread, cakes and pastries
• cooked and uncooked rice, pasta and beans
• wet and dry pet food

No thanks

Please do not put these items into your food waste caddies or shared communal food waste bins:

• any liquids including milk, oils, fats, custard, cream and gravy
• packaging: put your pots, tubs, trays and similar packaging in your waste bin as normal. Put all clean plastic bottles, tins, cans, paper and cardboard in your green recycling bin
• nappies
• clinical waste
• cat litter, dog poo or other pet waste
• garden waste and cut flowers
• other material that is not food waste

What to do with food and drink packaging

Put your pots, tubs, trays and similar packaging in your waste bin as normal. Put all clean plastic bottles, tins, cans, paper and cardboard in your green recycling bin.

How to dispose of liquids

Milk, cream, gravy or other liquids listed - please pour this down the sink.

Hot or cold drinks - please pour this down the sink.

Oil - put in a container and put in your waste bin.

Meat fat - wait for this to cool down and become solid then scrape into your food waste caddy.

Hungry for answers to food waste questions you may have?

Can I recycle my Halloween pumpkin?

Yes. When Halloween is over, you can recycle your spooky masterpieces using the food waste collection service. Make sure that you put your pumpkin out as soon as possible after Halloween though - the crews will not be able to collect them if they are rotting. Here's what to do:

• cut up your pumpkin and pop it (minus decorations) into liners and put them in your food waste caddy, or place the whole pumpkin on top of your green caddy if it is too big - this is so that our crews don't accidentally remove a pumpkin that you have not yet finished with!
• if you have more than one pumpkin to dispose of, please put them in a plastic bag and leave them beside your green caddy on collection day.
• if you use communal food waste bins, place your pumpkins into bags and put them into your shared bin. If the bin is full, don't leave your pumpkin on the floor beside the bins - please wait until the food waste bin has been emptied .

My caddies haven’t arrived

If you haven't received your caddies please contact our waste team by emailing customer.service@basingstoke.gov.uk

I already compost my food waste

Great, please carry on. You can use the service for food waste such as meat, fish, dairy, cooked foods and bones.

Why do I need to use liners?

Food waste must be contained in liners to keep your containers clean, prevent mould and protect our collection staff. It also avoids food waste getting stuck in your caddy or your shared food waste bin.

Can I opt out of the service?

Weekly food waste collections are a statutory government service, and we have issued all households with a grey indoor caddy and the appropriate collection container depending on whether you have communal bins or collections from the kerbside.

Separating your food waste from your rubbish will reduce the amount you are currently putting in your waste bin and increase the amount you recycle which is vital for reducing carbon emissions.

What should I do with items that can’t go in my caddy?

Liquids - pour liquids like hot and cold drinks, gravy, cream and milk down the silk.

Oils and fats - wait for them to cool down and put them in a container into your rubbish bin.

Packaging – if the packaging is dirty it needs to go in your rubbish bin as normal. If it is clean and is a plastic bottle, tin, can or cardboard, please put it in your green recycling bin.

Nappies, pet poo and pet litter should go in your rubbish bin.

Garden waste and cut flowers – please compost these at home, sign up to our garden waste collection service or take to the household recycling centre.

I think I’m going to fill my green outdoor caddy?

We have provided one caddy to each property. Try looking at what you buy to cut down the amount of out-of-date or excess food you may have. If, after this, you need an extra caddy, get in touch.

Food waste collections are a great opportunity to monitor just how much food you could be wasting. Reducing the amount of edible food you throw away will help to save you money and cut your carbon footprint. Visit Love Food Hate Waste website for recipes and tips to reduce your food waste.

How do the weekly food waste collections work?

Our crews will empty your green food waste caddy into a larger bin. This bin is part of the food waste collection equipment and speeds up collections. When full, it’s tipped into a food waste truck for recycling.

The bin is not a general waste bin, it just helps to make the collection process smoother for our team. Your waste and recycling and your food waste will be collected by different crews and vehicles.

What happens to my food waste

The food waste we collect will be taken to Re-Gas Energy Ltd in Herriard, Basingstoke. It will be fed into digester tanks where it breaks down and creates biogas which is then converted into heat and electricity. The broken-down food waste is processed into a nutrient rich bio-fertiliser, which is supplied to local farms. All liners are removed before the food waste is recycled.

Cutting your food waste

Now is a great time to start thinking about the amount of food waste you throw away and whether this could be avoided to help save you money and cut your carbon emissions.
The average family chucks away £83 of edible food waste each month. You can get help to reduce this by visiting Love Food hate waste page for top money-saving tips and budget friendly recipes. There’s also lots of advice on how to make your food last longer.

Earn money while you save and be a Kitchen Hero

Sign up today and earn Green Points by taking action to cut your food waste with Hampshire County Council. The hero with the most green points at the end of the month can choose from a selection of prizes including a £20 Love2Shop or M&S voucher!

You will be provided with easy activities to help cut down your food waste, such as:

• shopping smart by making meals plans and lists
• keeping your food fresh for longer by improving your storage
• getting creative to make the most of your leftovers.