First phase of food waste collections start next week

Households in Saltdean, Rottingdean, Ovingdean, Woodingdean and Brighton Marina will start getting food waste collections from 15 September. 

Residents in these areas will be able to recycle all unpackaged uncooked and cooked food – but no liquids – in food waste caddies a week before their first collections. This includes:

• Plate scrapings
• Bread, pasta and rice
• Fruit and vegetables
• Meat and bones
• Fish
• Eggshells
• Dairy products (but not milk)
• Tea bags and coffee grounds

The new service is free and collections will be weekly.

Food waste starter packs

We've distributed starter packs to residents, which include a kitchen caddy, compostable caddy liners, an instruction leaflet and either an outdoor caddy with orange lid or access to a communal food waste bin.

Information has also been sent to households with details of when their food waste collections will start and their regular collection day. Collection days for refuse and recycling collections will not change.

This is the first of 4 stages in the city’s rollout of free food waste collections.

Councillor Tim Rowkins, Cabinet member for Net Zero and Environmental Services, said: “From next week, residents in the east of the city will be able to recycle their food waste so it can be turned into compost. This is good for the environment, turning waste into a resource, and will also save money on waste disposal costs.

“Residents should now have the equipment they need and can start putting food waste into their caddies a week before their first collections. That includes all uncooked and cooked food without packaging, except liquids such as milk, soup, oil or gravy.”

More information

Find more information about food waste collections in the city.

In Brighton & Hove, around a third of household rubbish is food and drink waste – that's about 2.8kg per household each week.

The council is investing £1.2 million in the new weekly food waste service so all households, whether in a kerbside or communal area, will be able to recycle their food waste by March 2026.

Food waste collections rollout

Each phase of the rollout of the new service will inform the next, so the dates may be subject to change. The current timescale is:

• October 2025 – 29,500 households in the north of city: Coldean, Moulsecoomb, Bevendean, Patcham, Hollingdean, Hollingbury, Withdean and Preston Park
• November 2025 – 31,500 households in the west of city: Westdene, Hangleton, West Hove, Aldrington, Portslade and Mile Oak
• By March 2026 – 76,000 households in central and communal areas: Queen’s Park, Hanover, Kemptown, Whitehawk, Central Brighton, Seven Dials, Roundhill and Central Hove.

Brighton & Hove’s new food waste collections service has been supported by a grant from the UK Government.