Residents of the Lancaster and Morecambe area will receive new caddies as a weekly food waste collection service returns next month.
In February and March, householders will be given a new seven-litre kitchen caddy and a 23-litre external food waste bin - or communal bin where appropriate - to recycle food separately from their other waste.
They will also receive two rolls of kitchen caddy liners, a leaflet with instructions on how to use the service, and a printed waste and recycling collection calendar.
Weekly food waste collections will begin the week after delivery of the caddies.
The scheme is being reintroduced by Lancaster City Council, who are responsible for waste collection across the district, to comply with government recycling reforms.
The national initiative requires all councils in England to collect household food waste separately by March 31 2026 to boost recycling rates and reduce the amount of waste ending up in landfill or incineration.
The return of food waste recycling for the first time since a previous scheme was scrapped in 2016, is the second of three phases of changes to waste collection across the Lancaster and Morecambe District, which got under way last year.
It began with the replacement of 55 litre recycling boxes with 240 litre wheelie bins for for glass, plastic and tins; and cardboard and paper.
The third phase will begin from April 2026, when fortnightly collections of non-recyclable waste (grey bins); plastics, glass and cans; and paper and cardboard, will change to three-weekly collections.
Below: A silver kitchen caddy.
Residents can recycle all types of food waste using the new caddies, including leftovers, dairy products, fruit, vegetables, rice, pasta, beans, baked goods, meat, fish; bones, tea bags and coffee grounds.
Photo credit: Lancaster City Council
Starting the week following delivery, all collections will take place from the front of each property on the same day as waste or recycling collections.
Once collected, the waste will go to Lancashire County Council’s anaerobic digestion facility in Leyland to be transformed into renewable biogas for electricity, and nutrient-rich fertiliser for farmland.
To celebrate the launch, Lancaster City Council will place 15 golden tickets in food caddies, with prizes such as a £200 Love2shop voucher.
Councillor Paul Hart (below, left), Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, said: “It’s a simple change that makes a big difference.
"Recycling food waste is a win for households and our environment.
“On average, 28 per cent of the district’s grey bin waste is made up of food which could be recycled. The best thing we can do is buy the food we need and eat the food we buy. However, sometimes food waste is unavoidable.
“Whilst supporting national efforts to cut carbon emissions by making use of this valuable resource, residents will also have more space in grey bins and notice what waste is being produced and ways to reduce it — which could save them money.”
Below, a silver external food waste bin
The council has received around £1.46 million in funding from the government to support the roll-out of food waste collections, which includes new vehicles, the creation of 33 new roles, and caddies for each household.
A similar scheme to recycle food waste separately was scrapped in 2016.
At the time, it was said the scheme was axed because mixing food waste in with garden waste meant it has to be sent to special indoor composting facilities, where the composting took place at a controlled temperature.
This was necessary to kill any bacteria in the food waste and control the potential spread of disease like foot and mouth.
To help households get familiar with the new service, waste officers will host drop‑in sessions across the district, offering demonstrations and answering questions at the following locations:
- Wednesday, January 7 from 10am to noon at Bolton-le-Sands Library
- Thursday, January 8 from 10am to 4pm at Morrisons in Morecambe
- Thursday, January 15 and Friday January 16 from 10am to 4pm at Asda Lancaster Superstore
- Tuesday, January 20 from 10am to 12pm at Heysham Library
Photo credit: Lancaster City Council
More information can be found on the Lancaster City Council website, including a large list of frequently asked questions HERE.
The new food waste strategy was agreed by Lancaster City Council in May 2025.
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