Caddies for Lincoln’s new weekly food waste collections will start arriving at households from 23 February.
Biffa, the council’s waste contractor, will start delivering the caddies in order of collection days. Residents whose bin collection day is Monday will be among the first to receive their caddies.
Food waste collections begin from 30 March 2026, so the council asks that residents do not start using their food waste caddies until a week before collections start.
The new service forms part of a county-wide rollout under the Environment Act 2021, which requires all councils in England to collect food waste separately.
The scheme is being introduced across Lincolnshire, with City of Lincoln, North Kesteven, South Kesteven and West Lindsay residents among the first in the county to start weekly collections this spring.
Currently, food waste makes up around 26% of Lincolnshire’s general waste and is sent to the Energy from Waste plant.
By separating food waste for collection, it will instead be taken to an anaerobic digestion facility, where it will be used to generate green energy and nutrient-rich fertiliser for agriculture.
This helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cut reliance on fossil fuels and support local farming, contributing towards the UK’s net zero ambitions.
From 23 February, all households and flats will receive a small five-litre indoor kitchen caddy, along with an initial roll of 52 liners and an information leaflet explaining how the service works.
Properties that have their own wheeled bins for refuse and recycling will also receive a larger 23-litre outdoor caddy with an orange lid for kerbside collection.
Households served by communal bins, such as flats, will have access to a shared, orange-lidded food waste bin.
Weekly food waste collections will take place on the same day as residents’ usual refuse and recycling collections, regardless of which bin is out, although food waste will be collected by a dedicated vehicle and may be at a different time of day.
Once the initial roll of liners has run out, there are many alternatives that can be used to line the indoor food waste caddies. For example, old bread bags, used sandwich bags, multipack crisp bags, packaging from online orders, or takeaway bags.
The council is encouraging all residents to try the new weekly food waste scheme.
For those who compost at home, the food caddies can still be used for dairy products, raw and cooked meat (including bones), raw and cooked fish (including bones and shells), and plate scrapings.
Those who like to feed any leftovers to their furry friends can use the caddies for items such as banana peelings, eggshells, mouldy items, tea bags and coffee grounds, or any uneaten food items that are harmful to pets.
The food waste caddies are designed with secure, close-fitting lids to help contain odours and prevent pests, and the small indoor caddy is intended to fit neatly in kitchens without taking up significant space.
Residents should use their caddy for all uneaten food (even if it is mouldy) and plate scrapings, including meat and fish (raw or cooked), dairy products, tea bags and coffee grounds, rice, pasta and beans, bread, pastries and cakes, and raw or cooked fruit and vegetables, including peelings.
Councillor Rebecca Longbottom, Portfolio Holder for Remarkable Place at City of Lincoln Council, said:
“Introducing weekly food waste collections is a change I’m very much looking forward to. As a council, we are proud to support our residents in recycling more efficiently and helping to protect the environment.
“Food waste makes up a significant proportion of what is currently placed in our black bins. By separating it, we can turn it into something useful, generating green energy and fertiliser instead of sending it for incineration.
“I would encourage residents to look out for their caddies from 23 February, read the information provided and wait until the week before collections begin to start using them. Even if you compost or have pets, there will still be items that can go in your food waste caddy. Together, we can make Lincoln a cleaner, greener city.”
For more information, including what can go in the food waste caddy and tips for keeping it clean, visit www.lincoln.gov.uk/foodwaste.