Food waste

Householders will receive an external 23-litre caddy for food waste (or access to a communal bin for residents in flats), along with a 7-litre kitchen caddy (with liners) to collect food waste indoors. You will empty the kitchen caddy into the external food waste caddy and this will be collected weekly. The external caddy has a lockable lid to contain any smells and prevent vermin from getting in.

The new bins and food waste collection vehicles will be funded by a grant from the government.

The food waste caddies are used to collect household food waste, including plate scrapings, peelings, bones, tea bags, eggshells, coffee grounds and any uneaten food.

Once collected, food waste will be taken to an anaerobic digestion facility where it will be used to generate natural forms of energy such as biogas, an excellent alternative to fossil fuels, and a fertiliser, or soil conditioner which can be used in farming.

Recycling

Recycling collections will continue to be carried out fortnightly. Residents will receive a new 240-litre wheeled bin for simpler mixed recycling – to include cans, plastic and glass. Existing blue bags will be retained for paper and card, as it has a resale value when it is clean/uncontaminated by other waste. Many other local authorities retain their blue bags for this reason. The black box and green bags will no longer be used.

Remaining non-recyclable refuse will also be collected fortnightly, using the existing grey wheeled bin, bringing the council in line with the majority of councils across the country. The use of the food caddy and extended recycling means most households should reduce the amount of waste going into their black bin

Garden waste collections will also stay fortnightly and remain a paid for service.

Yes. All councils must introduce food waste to its service by April 2026.

Yes. The decision was approved at Full Council on Monday 2 December 2024. The council’s Cabinet approved the decision at a meeting on Wednesday 23 October 2024.

Waste management colleagues are starting to work on the delivery and implementation programme for the new service, which will be introduced by April 2026.

There is a lot of detail that needs to be worked through, following the decision to proceed with the introduction of the new household waste collection service at Full Council.

Decisions will be made in terms of how waste collections will work at properties such as high-rise and low-rise flats, HMOs and terraced homes etc, where existing waste collections already differ. Residents in these properties will be contacted directly when workable collection arrangements have been agreed.

The council has a register of all residents who require specific assistance. People on this register will be contacted separately by waste care colleagues.

The new recycling bin will replace the current green bag and black box and the footprint of your outdoor recycling containers will therefore not increase significantly.

The council is committed to keeping residents informed. Information, guidance and engagement activity about the introduction of the new service will be shared in due course.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) will be reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis. Information will also be updated regularly on this website and the council’s website - link). Residents can also call Dudley Council Plus on 0300 555 2345 with any queries.

A separate email address has been set up for those residents who wish to contact the council about the changes to the waste collection service: waste2026@dudley.gov.uk . Please note, there is an automated response attached to the above email address. While the council values resident feedback and comments, it will not be possible to reply to all individual correspondence. Feedback and comments from residents will be gathered and reviewed on a regular basis and the FAQs will be updated to reflect this.

In the meantime, and in readiness for the introduction of the new service, residents can sign up to a range of communications channels, as follows:

X @Dudleymbc

Facebook Dudley borough

The mandatory introduction of the food waste recycling service will help all residents to think about and see the amount of food waste they produce and take active steps to save money and reduce their carbon footprint by buying less and using more.

The council will be assisting residents to use and make the most of the new service. We will be running an education programme and change campaign in the run up to the new service.