We collect food waste every week on the same day as we collect your general waste and recycling. It is collected using a different vehicle, so your food waste bin may be picked up at a different time from your other waste.
Recycling food waste saves energy and money, so the more food we recycle, the better it is for the environment and Council taxpayers.
If you use communal waste bins or live in certain housing blocks or estates, you will get new communal food waste facilities at a later date.
Your food waste bin
We provide households with a small indoor food waste bin, and a larger bin for outdoors.
Your small indoor bins
Most people keep this bin in the kitchen so it's easy to scrape plate leftovers straight into it. You can line this bin with a compostable liner (available from many supermarkets) or with a sheet of newspaper. Never use plastic bags.
You can also buy discounted liners for 50p a roll at outlets across the District. These liners are available for a limited time as part of a Kent County Council pilot scheme.
Your outdoor bins
Every few days, or when your indoor bin is full, empty its contents into your outdoor food waste bin, including the liner. Lock the lid by putting the handle in the down position.
Put your outdoor food waste bin at the edge of your property, close to the road, or at your agreed collection point by 7am on your usual collection day
Find out where to present your caddy if you live in New Ash Green.
If you live in a large household or generate a lot of food waste and need extra capacity, you can order an additional outdoor food waste bin.
What goes in your food waste bin
All cooked and raw food, including:
- Leftovers
- Out-of-date and mouldy food
- Meat and fish bones
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Egg and nut shells
- Fruit and vegetable peelings
- Pet food
Do not put plastic bags or food packaging in your food waste bin.
Watch our video to find out more:
Report a missed collection
Food waste is collected separately from your general waste and recycling, usually at a different time.
If your food waste has not been collected by 4pm on your collection day, and you put your bin out in the correct location by 7am, you can report a missed collection.
If you report a missed collection, you must leave your food waste bin out until it has been collected.
If you are not going to leave your bin out, please do not report a missed collection.
Request a replacement food waste bin
Report a damaged or lost food waste bin or request a new one.
Request replacement food waste bin
New residents
If you are new to the area and don’t have a food waste bin, please request one
Further information
Turning your food waste into energy
About 30% of our household waste, by weight, is made up of cooked and raw food. All the food waste we collect is taken to an anaerobic digestion plant, where bacteria break down the food to produce natural biogas.
The gas is captured and used for cooking, electricity production and other purposes. It even powers the anaerobic digestion plant. This is a renewable form of energy, which is better for the environment than using fossil fuels.
The process also creates quality fertiliser, making anaerobic digestion one of the most sustainable waste treatments available.
Watch a video about anaerobic digestion
Food waste collections save taxpayers' money
Recycling food waste costs a fraction of the price of disposing of it with your general waste. Kent County Council saves approximately £130 for every tonne of food waste that goes to an anaerobic digestion plant compared with incineration.
We're aiming to collect at least 5,000 tonnes of food waste every year, saving Kent County Council around £650,000.