Food waste
You can recycle your food waste from home using our free food waste collection service. If your property is not in a food waste area but you’re interested in recycling your food waste, visit the composting at home page.
You can also visit the Love Food Hate Waste website for lots of practical advice, tips and recipes on how to avoid food waste and save money.
From houses
Since July 2009 we have been trialling a free weekly food waste collection service for kerbside properties in five different areas of the borough. The scheme is being trialled for 12 months and if successful it could be expanded across Lambeth.
If you live in a kerbside property that does not currently recycle food waste, call us on 020 7926 9000 to join the service. We will let you know if your home is in the food waste area and will arrange for you to receive your free food waste caddy and bin liners.
From estates
Food waste recycling collections have been running on selected estates for three years. From 30 November 2009, food waste will be collected from communal recycling bins on estates. This change will allow us to expand the service to even more estates in the borough. In 2010 we will be increasing the number of estates that we collect food waste from 15 to 21.
How does the scheme work?
We will give you a kitchen caddy and caddy liners so you can easily dispose of your food waste. The caddy liners can be easily tied to form waterproof bags so that you can take them outside without mess or smells.
If you live in a kerbside property, we will also give you an outside food waste bin so that you can store your food waste until we collect it. The outside bin has a lockable lid to ensure that animals cannot get to the food and cause a mess or nuisance. We will collect your food waste every week on the same day as your recycling and refuse.
If you live on an estate, when the liner in your caddy is full, tie it and drop it through the hole in the communal food waste bin. These bins are located next to or near refuse bins on your estate. The holes are lined with rubber flaps and the lids will be locked to ensure that animals or pests cannot get to the food and cause a mess or nuisance. The communal food waste bins will be emptied weekly and cleaned on a regular basis to maintain hygiene standards.
What can I recycle?
- Meat and fish (raw and cooked including bones)
- Fruit and vegetables (raw and cooked)
- Dairy products (including cheese, eggs and egg shells)
- Bread, cakes and pastries
- Rice and pasta
- Tea bags, tea and coffee grounds
- Used kitchen paper towels
- Uneaten food from plates and dishes
What can't I recycle?
- Packaging of any sort
- Plastic bags
- Glass, metal and paper
- Oils and liquids
- Nappies
- Soil, rubble and stones
- Any other waste
What if I need more bin liners?
If you live in a kerbside property, leave a note in time for your next collection on your outside food waste bin requesting more bin liners. Our collection crew will leave a roll of liners next to your outside food waste bin on the same day they pick up your food waste.
If you live on an estate, you can get more liners from your housing office. If you are not sure about which office to visit, you can call us to find out on 020 7926 9000.
What happens to my food waste?
Once we have collected your food waste, it is taken to a composting facility where it is processed in an enclosed vessel. As the food breaks down, the temperature is carefully controlled to ensure that the finished product is completely sterile. The end product will be used mainly by local farmers as a soil improver replacing artificial fertilisers.