Lancaster City Council says more than 2,200 tonnes of waste has already been stopped from entering landfill as rollout of a scheme to reintroduce food recycling continues.
The equivalent weight of 184 double-decker buses in food waste has been collected since the scheme was rolled out in February this year.
Residents have been recycling everyday items such as fruit and vegetable peelings, leftovers, tea bags, and bones that would otherwise have been sent to landfill or incineration.
The council said all of the food waste that is collected from homes is transformed into fertiliser to support local agriculture and will soon be used to create biofuel that will generate renewable energy.
Earlier in 2026, residents were 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.
The scheme was reintroduced by Lancaster City Council, who are responsible for waste collection across the district, to comply with government recycling reforms.
The service accepts all types of food waste, including: leftovers; dairy products; fruit; vegetables; rice; pasta; beans; baked goods; meat; fish; bones; tea bags; and coffee grounds.
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.
A spokesperson for Lancaster City Council said: ‘’Even if you only put tea bags or the occasional onion or banana peel in your caddy, it makes a big difference.
‘’Thank you to everyone who has embraced this service and to those who compost at home.
‘’In the Lancaster district, roughly 28% of waste thrown away in the general rubbish is food waste. Not only is this a waste of money and resources, but it is estimated to contribute 8-10% of global man-made greenhouse gas emissions.’’
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