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Food waste consultation 2025

This consultation is open until 7 November 2025.

Overview

We’re starting weekly food waste collections to meet new government rules – and we want your feedback.

The Environment Act 2021 requires councils in England to collect and recycle glass, metal, plastic, paper, card, and garden waste. From 2026, we must also collect food waste from every household, every week.

Although we must offer this service, using it is your choice. Taking part helps reduce waste and tackle climate change.

The food waste collection service will be rolled out to all households in 2026. Before we make final decisions, we’re asking you to tell us:

  • your preferred collection option
  • any concerns you have about the new service or collection options

Options for delivering this service

We are considering two options:

You'll get:

  • a small kitchen caddy for daily use
  • a larger lockable kerbside caddy for weekly collection (flats and communal buildings will have a shared bin for weekly collection)
  • free doorstep collection of small electrical items (for example, kettles and hairdryers) batteries and vapes

How it works

  • Food waste can be bagged in any plastic bag.
  • Collected weekly on the same day as recycling (green bin) or general waste (grey bin) all year round
  • Food waste treated in a facility approved to accept animal by-products
  • Small electrical items can be placed next to your bin and will be taken for recycling.

Cost and benefits

This option adds about £1.7 million per year to the cost of waste services. 

It could increase recycling rates by 8%.

Option 1: Weekly separate food waste collection and small electrical items

Use your existing brown wheelie bin for both food and garden waste. If you don't already have a brown bin, we'll provide one.

If you live in a flat or communal building, you'll use a shared bin for weekly collection.

How it works:

  • Food waste must be in compostable bags, or placed directly into the bin
  • We won't provide kitchen or kerbside caddies
  • Collected weekly all year round with garden waste (brown bin)
  • Food and garden waste treated in a facility approved to accept animal by-products

Small electrical items won't be collected at the kerbside but you can take them to the HWRC (tip) for free disposal.

Cost and benefits: 

This option adds about £2.6 million/year to the cost of waste services and an extra £0.9m due to treatment costs for garden waste.

It could increase recycling rates by 4%.

Option 2: weekly mixed food and garden waste collection

Have your say

We’ve posted thousands of surveys to randomly selected households across the borough. If you receive one, please complete it by the deadline, ideally online.

If you didn't get a survey you can fill it in online:

Paper copies are available at all Walsall libraries.

Help to have your say

If you need help to complete the survey online, visit your local Walsall Connected Centre located in libraries and community hubs across the borough.

If you (or anyone you know) needs this information in an alternative format in order to have your / their say, i.e. large text, audio, or a community language, please contact us. We will work with you to meet your / their needs.

Community engagement sessions

In October and November we will be holding a number of face-to-face engagement sessions at community venues all over the borough. You will have the opportunity to talk to officers and give your views. More dates and locations coming soon. 

DateTimePlace
Friday 26 September9.30am to 12.30pmASDA, St Lawrence Way Darlaston WS10 8UZ
Tuesday 21 October9.30am to 12.30pmMorrisons, Middle Piece Way, Willenhall WV13 1QG

Contact information

Before contacting us, please check to see if we can answer your question from our online information.

Phone:

01922 650000

Connect to a BSL interpreter

Available on demand Monday to Friday between 9am and 4:30pm

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