Brighton News: Five Major Brighton Roads to Be Resurfaced
Brighton & Hove’s food waste recycling scheme is expanding this week, following a hugely successful first phase that’s already turned 40 tonnes of leftovers into compost.
The second phase of the city’s new weekly food waste collections is now rolling out across Westdene, Patcham, Hollingbury, Hollingdean, Coldean, Bevendean, Moulsecoomb, Withdean and Preston Park.
People in these areas can now put all cooked and uncooked food waste into their caddies, including fruit and vegetables, bread, pasta, rice, dairy, tea bags, coffee grounds, fish, meat and bones. The collected waste is transformed into compost and soil improver, helping grow new crops and returning nutrients to the soil.
Strong Start for Phase 1
The service launched in the east of the city on September 15 and has already exceeded expectations. Participation has been “well above average” for a new scheme, with just 78 reports of missed collections in the first month across 11,000 homes, all resolved within 24 hours.
Councillor Tim Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero and Environmental Services, said: “It’s been fantastic to see residents using the new service. There’s been very high participation and very low contamination, which means we’ve already turned 40 tonnes of food into compost.
“This will be fed back into the soil to grow more food, completing the cycle from field to fork and back to field.
“Phase 2 starts this week and we’re on course to roll out food waste collections to the whole city by next March.”
How the New Service Works
Households in the new areas have been provided with starter packs, including caddies and guidance on how to use them. Residents are advised to leave caddies at the edge of their property where crews can easily see them, with the handle pulled upright to keep the lid secure.
Some flats will use shared food waste bins instead of individual caddies. Collections take place between 5am and 10pm, and residents can put caddies out the night before or before 5am on collection day.
Recycling food waste doesn’t just help the environment, it also saves taxpayers money. More than a third of the waste found in Brighton & Hove’s household bins is food, amounting to over 21,000 tonnes a year currently going to landfill.
Citywide Rollout by 2026
The council is investing £1.2 million in the new weekly food waste service, with the goal of reaching all households by March 2026.
The rollout will continue in two further phases:
- December 2025: 31,500 households in the west of the city – Hangleton, West Hove, Aldrington, Portslade and Mile Oak
- March 2026: 76,000 households in central and communal areas – Queen’s Park, Hanover, Kemptown, Whitehawk, Central Brighton, Seven Dials, Roundhill and Central Hove
Brighton & Hove City Council says each phase will help refine the service before the next expansion. The rollout has been supported by a grant from the UK Government.
Residents can find full details, check collection days, order replacement caddies or report missed collections at brighton-hove.gov.uk/foodwaste.
Read more: Brighton Food Waste Collection Launches
