Binfluencer Info
Darlington Borough Council is starting the weekly household food waste collections from Tuesday 2 June 2026. It’s time to recap the new guidelines regarding the food waste recycling.
In Heighington, School Aycliffe, The Chestnuts and Redworth the first collection day will be Wednesday, the 6th of June. Please make sure all your recycling is ready for collection by 7am and bins are brought back in as soon as possible after collection. Normal household waste collections will remain fortnightly.
By now every household should have received a small food waste caddy for the kitchen, a larger food waste bin for outside and a roll of 52 biodegradable caddy liners, enough to last a year.
If you don’t receive your bins by the end of May 2026 there will be an online form to complete - I haven’t found this form yet but will post an update once it’s available.
What you will need to do ( in short ):
put food waste, such as peelings, leftovers, out of date items (not in packaging), coffee grounds and tea bags, in the lined caddy
when the caddy is full, tie the liner bag and put it in the outside food waste bin
put your food waste bin out for collection once a week, along with your general recycling bin.
The food waste will be taken to a waste processing facility that combines sorting waste with a treatment that turns it into a gas which can be used to generate electricity, heat or transport fuels. It also creates a nutrient-rich digestate that can be used as a fertiliser for agriculture and in land regeneration. Please make sure all your recycling is ready for collection by 7am and bins are brought back in as soon as possible after collection.
What you can put in your food waste bin
Yes please
Uneaten food and plate scrapings
Out of date foods
Ready meals (no packaging)
Dairy products
Eggs (including shells)
Bread, cakes and pastries
Meat and fish (raw and cooked) and bones
Tea bags and coffee grounds
Vegetables and fruit (and peelings)
Pet food
Rice, pasta and beans
No, thank you
Packaging of any kind
Liquids such as milk
Oil or liquid fat
Any rubbish that is not food waste
Food waste recycling equipment
FAQ’s
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What we need you to do:
put food waste, such as peelings, leftovers, out of date items (not in packaging), coffee grounds and tea bags, in the lined caddy
when the caddy is full, tie the liner bag and put it in the outside food waste bin
put your food waste bin out for collection once a week, along with your general recycling bin.
If you live in a flat or other communal setting, you will get a caddy for your home and liners. There will be a larger communal bin to put your full caddy liners into.
Read the instruction leaflet delivered with your food waste bin and caddy for more information or check out the video on the "how to recycle food waste" section of this website.
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We will be collecting food waste, along with all other recycling once a week. Your collection day may change - you will be able to find your day online.
General rubbish will continue to be collected fortnightly. -
The government’s ‘simpler recycling’ reforms means all councils must provide weekly food waste recycling collections.
Recycling household food waste has many benefits including a reduction in waste and an increase in recycling levels which is good for the environment. If you throw less away, you will save money, and the council also saves money as the amount we send to landfill will be reduced. This money will be reinvested in essential services.
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Around 9.5million tonnes of food are thrown away in the UK every year which equates to an average of £470 a year of food per household. Food waste that is sent to landfill doesn’t harmlessly breakdown. It has a big impact on the environment as it rots and releases methane – a harmful greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. It also costs money to send waste to landfill, money which would be better spent on essential services.
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When recycled, your food waste can work wonders! Your food waste is taken to a waste processing facility that combines sorting your waste with a treatment that turns it into a gas which can be used to generate electricity, heat or transport fuels. It also creates a nutrient-rich material that can be used as a fertiliser for agriculture and in land regeneration.
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No amount of food waste is too small for us to collect, and everyone will produce some waste that can be recycled. It’s not just uneaten food we collect. Fruit and vegetable peelings, tea bags, coffee grounds, eggshells, fish and meat bones can all be recycled.
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If you already compost your food waste then you are helping the environment and helping to reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfill. Thank you for your efforts. We are encouraging everyone to use the food waste collection service but if you already compost all your food waste we understand you will not need to use the service.
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You will receive a free five litre caddy to keep inside, a free 23 litre food waste recycling bin for outside and a free roll of 52 biodegradable caddy liners (enough for one year). If you live in a flat or other communal setting, you will get a caddy for your home and liners. There will be a larger communal bin to put your full caddy liners into.
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DBC will deliver the new equipment to your home. Don't worry if you haven't got yours yet, we will get to you before collections start in June.
We are delivering bins to residents on scheme A (those who have a wheeled bin for recycling and a green box for glass) first. Don't worry if you are on scheme B (you have a bag and a green box for recycling rather than a wheeled bin) you will get your food waste caddy and bin before the start date.If you don’t receive your bins by the end of May 2026 there will be an online form to complete.
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The caddy is small and the outside food waste bin is a lot smaller than your normal waste, recycling and garden bin. You can keep your caddy under the sink, next to the kitchen bin or on the worktop.
You can use your own container if you prefer something more stylish or it fits better in your kitchen. If you don’t want to use the caddy you can put your food waste straight into the outside food waste bin (either in a plastic bag/caddy liner or loose. Loose food waste may make your bin smell). -
The first roll of 52 biodegradable liners is free and will be delivered with your bin and caddy- after that you will need to buy your own liners. We will sell them for a minimal cost or, if you prefer, you can buy your own or use plastic bags or newspaper to line your caddy. Non-biodegradable plastic bags will be removed at the treatment works.
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If you prefer you can put your food waste straight into the new food waste bin, rather than using the indoor caddy. You must put the outside food waste bin (rather than the caddy) out for collection.
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If you already use our assisted collections service it will automatically be extended to include your food waste bin. You can arrange a new assisted collection online or by calling 01325 405111.
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There is less likely to be smells, if you regularly empty your kitchen caddy into the outside food waste recycling bin and tie up the liner. Your outdoor bin and caddy also have sealable lids which will stop smells getting out better than most normal kitchen bins.
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If the lid on the outdoor food waste bin is kept closed and sealed it is unlikely to attract pests. We are also collecting food waste every week so there won’t be weeks of food waste outside your house. In fact, there will be less food waste outside as we are making food collections more frequently.
Recycling simplified
General recycling will also soon be simplified, with cardboard, paper, tins and plastic all put together in the existing recycling bin, along with cartons and Tetra Paks which can now be recycled. Glass will continue to be put in the green box. This means the cardboard and paper caddy inside the bin is no longer needed and can be used as storage around the home.
If you have any further questions please visit the Bins, Waste and recycling section of DBC’s website.
