Fylde Council secures over £1m government funding for new weekly food waste collection service

Fylde Council has approved a major environmental initiative that will see every household in the borough receive a new weekly food waste collection service, following the allocation of over £1m in government funding.

The council has secured £794,751 in capital funding and £257,808 in transitional revenue funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to implement the new statutory service, which must be introduced in Spring 2026 under the Environment Act 2021.

The funding will be used to purchase five specialist 7.5-tonne food waste collection vehicles and provide every household with two containers: a seven-litre kitchen caddy for indoor use and a 23-litre kerbside caddy for weekly collection.

The new service forms part of the government’s ‘Simpler Recycling’ initiative, designed to boost national recycling rates and help the country achieve its target of 65 per cent recycling by 2035.

Food waste collected will be processed through anaerobic digestion at Lancashire County Council’s Materials Recycling Facility, generating renewable energy and reducing waste sent to landfill.

Coun Michelle Morris, lead member for customer and operational services, said: “This is a significant step forward for environmental sustainability in Fylde.

"The new weekly food waste collection service will help our residents reduce their environmental impact while supporting our borough’s contribution to national recycling targets.

"We’re pleased that this important service is fully funded by government grants, ensuring no additional financial impact on our residents.”

The council will adopt a phased approach to implementation, with preparations beginning in 2025/26 including operational planning, staff recruitment, and procurement of vehicles and containers. Detailed communications will be provided to all residents well in advance of service commencement.

Further government funding is anticipated to be announced during 2025/26 to support ongoing operational costs, with additional reports to be presented to the Executive Committee as information becomes available