When food waste collections begin in every area of Lancashire as some councils reveal delays

All local authorities with waste collection responsibilities are required to start separate weekly pick-ups of leftover, unwanted and out-of-date food from 31st March.

Householders will be asked to put their food waste in a small ‘caddy’ that they will be supplied with to store in the kitchen, before emptying it into a larger outdoor bin to be collected by refuse workers.

The government announced the major service change two years ago, demanding councils make the necessary preparations in time for what was intended to be a fixed deadline, unless existing waste disposal contracts prevented it being met.

However, some have since been permitted to enter into “transitional arrangements”, because they were going to be unable to start the collections on time.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) asked all 14 Lancashire authorities when their food waste service would begin.

Ribble Valley Borough Council said it would not be collecting separate food waste until October, with Fylde saying it would also be doing so from “the autumn”.

Both told the LDRS that they had experienced delays in obtaining the new vehicles needed to deliver the service.

Blackburn with Darwen Council said it would be starting collection from 1st June, having been one of the authorities allowed a longer timeframe because of its current waste disposal contract. However, the authority has already been making food waste collections from more than 9,200 households in the borough since April 2025 as part of a pilot scheme – and almost 1,500 more will be added to the number next month.

Meanwhile, Chorley and South Ribble councils did not say, when approached, whether they would be starting food waste collections in their areas by the end of the March – although neither has previously indicated there would be a problem in doing so.

Most authorities have indicated – either directly to the LDRS or via messages on their websites – that they would be beginning to collect food waste separately from the start of April.

Only Lancaster City Council is getting started ahead of the government deadline – with collections in the district due to start in February.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs told the LDRS: “We have invested over £340 million to support councils on weekly food collections. While local authorities will have the flexibility to deliver these reforms in the best way for their council areas and residents, we still expect them to take all reasonable steps to meet their statutory obligations.

“This government will introduce a streamlined approach to recycling to end the postcode lottery, simplify bin collections and clean up our streets for good.

“These reforms are estimated to cut the net cost for waste management by over £200 million by 2035.”

When will weekly food waste collections start in my part of Lancashire?

When asked by the LDRS, this is what each council said:

Blackburn with Darwen

1st June, 2026 – delay permitted due to existing waste disposal contract.

Blackpool

Expecting to start in April 2026.

Burnley

13th April, 2026

Chorley

No response – council website indicates April 2026.

Fylde

Autumn 2026 – delay due to”a nationwide backlog in vehicle delivery”.

Hyndburn

On schedule for 31st March, 2026.

Lancaster

February 2026 – Cllr Paul Hart, 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.”

Pendle

No response – website indicates March 2026.

Preston

Early April 2026.

Ribble Valley

October 2026 – a council spokesperson said: “Many councils have experienced difficulty in procuring the specific vehicles necessary in time for the start date. The delay to our delivery of the service is due to circumstances out of our control, following a robust procurement process.”

Rossendale

On track for start of April 2026 – awaiting confirmation of delivery dates for caddies.

South Ribble

No response – council website indicates April 2026.

West Lancashire

No response – website indicates end of March

Wyre

No response – website indicates 13th April

What can be recycled in food waste bins?

• all uneaten food and plate scrapings
• out-of-date food
• raw meat
• cooked meat
• bones
• dairy products
• cheese
• eggs
• teabags
• coffee grounds
• raw vegetables
• cooked vegetables
• whole fruit
• peelings
• rice
• pasta
• beans
• bread
• cakes
• pastries
• pet food

What cannot be recycled in food waste bins?

• packaging of any kind
• liquids such as milk
• oil or liquid fat
• any material that is not food waste