Food waste collections

Currently, all households with kerbside recycling have access to food waste recycling. As well as this, a selection of properties serviced by communal bin stores also have access to food waste recycling as part of a trial. 

By the end of March 2026, all properties will have access to food waste recycling.

Households (other than those with a communal bin store) have two caddies:

• a five-litre caddy for indoors
• a larger 23 litre caddy for outdoors

You can put food waste loose in caddies, or you can use a plastic or biodegradable bag to line the caddy. Please do not use liners made from black rubbish bag-style material.

Here's what to do:

• Transfer all food waste to your indoor caddy
  • Everything including teabags, eggshells, banana peels, plate scrapings, vegetable peelings, and bones, see ‘what goes in my caddy’ below for a full list
• When your indoor caddy is full, empty the contents into your outdoor caddy
• Make sure your caddy is shut and in the locked position before putting it out for collection. Your outdoor caddy locks shut when you pull the handle to the upright position. 
• Place your outdoor caddy at the closest point to the public highway each week by 6.30am on your collection day

You can find your collection day by using our search tool. 

Residents who have access to a communal bin store, and who are part of the food waste recycling in flats trial, have an indoor caddy and access to a communal food waste bin. 

You can put food waste loose in caddies, or you can use a plastic or biodegradable bag to line the caddy. Please do not use liners made from black rubbish bag-style material.

Here's what to do:

• Transfer all food waste to your indoor caddy
  • Everything including teabags, eggshells, banana peels, plate scrapings, vegetable peelings, and bones, see ‘what goes in my caddy’ below for a full list
• When your indoor caddy is full, empty the contents into your communal food waste bin
• Your communal food waste bin will be emptied every Tuesday. Please make sure your recycling is in the correct bin by 6.30am.

If your property is part of the food waste trial but you have not received an indoor caddy, please contact us at WatersideBSU@swindon.gov.uk

For your other waste and recycling collections, you can find your collection day by using our search tool. 

We cannot collect waste left on the floor in communal recycling facilities and will only collect waste when the area is safe to enter. All bin lids must be closed in order for a collection to take place. We may not empty overfilled bins

If you find that the bins available to you cannot accommodate the level of waste produced by your building please speak to your property manager or contact us for a waste warden assessment.

To recycle as much as possible, remember what you can and can’t put in your caddy.

Yes please: 

• Food leftovers and plate scrapings 
• Eggs 
• Tea bags and coffee grounds 
• Meat and fish 
• Raw and cooked food
• Bones (from meat, poultry or fish) 
• Cooking oil, lard and fats (please collect liquid oils and fats in a plastic bottle and leave next to your bin)
• Pet food 

No thanks:  

• Garden waste 
• Food packaging 
• Animal waste 
• Nappies and sanitary products

You can use our Waste Wizard tool to find out how to recycle specific items.

If you choose to line your caddy, you can obtain 5 to 10 litre PE or biodegradable caddy bags at most supermarkets.

It is not necessary to use compostable or biodegradable bags as they are removed during the processing process. You must still make sure to remove all food from its packaging before placing in the caddy, however, as it is typically made from a thicker plastic and can disrupt the process.

Your food waste is sent to Codford Biogas, an anaerobic digestion plant, where it is processes into a nutrient-rich fertiliser, used on the surrounding farms, and biogas that is used as a green energy source.

By recycling food waste, you will help cut down the amount of waste that is disposed of by burning. Due to the high water content of food waste, it takes more energy to burn it than is created during the process.

Food waste is the single largest material type thrown away in general waste bins. By recycling it, we can help contribute towards a circular economy and reduce the amount of waste that needs disposing of.

Watch the video to see what happens:

As an alternative or addition to having food waste collected, you could consider producing your own compost from food waste. You can purchase compost bins at most large supermarkets or DIY and hardware stores. 

Please note: Most home composting units can only take garden waste uncooked vegetables and fruit for example, peelings and skins, as well as coffee grounds and tea bags. Any meat, fish, bones, dairy or cooked food should still go in your council food waste caddy.

Find out more about composting at Recycle Now.

You can order a replacement indoor or outdoor food caddy free of charge, if yours is lost, stolen or damaged.

You can also request an additional outdoor food caddy, free of charge, if the amount of food waste your household produces exceeds the capacity of the caddy every week.