Cabinet approves changes to support food waste collections

Rutland County Council’s cabinet is supporting the introduction of the county’s new food waste collections by formally approving changes to the current residual waste arrangements, set to be rolled out in March 2026.

At the meeting, held today (Tuesday 10 June), cabinet approved a fortnightly collection of a smaller 140-litre residual waste bin, which will run alongside a weekly food waste collection service and the normal fortnightly recycling collections. This change is designed to drive participation in the new food waste collection service and ensure the scheme remains cost-effective for the council in the long term.

This decision follows earlier approval in November 2024 to enhance the kerbside collection service through the introduction of separate food waste collections, which is a statutory government requirement. This also supports the council’s broader strategy to improve recycling rates, reduce residual waste, and meet government requirements for more sustainable waste management.

"This is a vital and positive step in delivering a more improved and sustainable waste service for Rutland. By reducing the size of our black bins and introducing weekly food waste collections, we’re encouraging residents to waste less and recycle more in order to reduce waste going to incineration and help the environment, all while keeping within budget. This initiative aligns with Rutland’s waste strategy goals, including a target to achieve a 65% kerbside recycling rate by 2035, and to reduce residual household waste to less than 6kg per week per household."

Cllr Christine Wise - Rutland County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport, Environment and Communities

Recent financial modelling shows that this decision is both affordable and publicly supported, with public consultation held in 2021 that indicated 44% of residents that responded preferred smaller bins over 32% preferring reduced collection frequency. The council's modelling also projects recycling rates of up to 62% under this new system.

Transitional government funding announced in March 2025 will support the initial implementation of the new food waste collection. Although ongoing funding remains uncertain, Rutland County Council continues to engage with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to address remaining funding needs for full implementation.

Significant council investment in new waste vehicles in 2024 improved the service for residents in 2024. This together with a new recycling contract for dry mixed recycling have improved our overall recycling performance which reduces costs. Improved waste transfer operations and the outstanding response by residents to our renewed waste minimisation campaign, has meant that the amount of residual waste has reduced so the council is confident these changes can be implemented within existing financial plans.

To support residents, the council will provide kitchen caddies and kerbside food bins. All details of the roll-out of the new food waste and residual waste bins will be fully communicated with residents before the implementation.

Frequently asked questions have also been added to our new 'Introduction to food waste' page and these will be updated as and when any further information is finalised.

The full report presented to Cabinet can be accessed via our 'Council meetings' page.