Please check your revised collection days carefully as they may be earlier or later than usual.
North Norfolk food waste collection
Simpler Recycling and New Food Waste Collections from February 2027
Food Waste Collections Starting February 2027
North Norfolk District Council will introduce a new weekly food waste collection service from February 2027.
Simpler Recycling: What You Need to Do
Under the new Simpler Recycling rules, waste must be separated into three types:
- General waste
- Dry recycling
- Food waste
What You Will Receive
- All households and flats will receive a 5‑litre indoor kitchen caddy for collecting food waste inside your home.
- Households will receive a 23‑litre outdoor caddy for placing food waste outside to be taken away.
- Flats with shared bins will receive a 140‑litre shared food‑waste bin located in the bin‑store area.
- Smaller blocks of flats or individual flats will receive their own 23‑litre outdoor caddy.
On your collection day:
Households and Flats with Individual Caddies
- Place your outdoor food waste caddy at the edge of your property by 7am on your collection day.
- Ensure the lid is closed and the handle is upright so it locks securely.
Flats with Shared Bins
- Our collection team will empty the shared food‑waste bin in your bin‑store area.
- The bin will be returned to the store area after emptying.
What you can put in your food waste?
In your caddy, you can put all food waste, such as:
- plate scrapings, including all uneaten food
- meat and bones, including raw, cooked and meat bones
- fish, including raw, cooked, and fish bones
- dairy, including yoghurts, cheese, eggs, and butter
- fruit and vegetables, including raw, cooked, whole and peelings
- all other food waste, including tea bags, coffee grounds, rice, pasta, beans, bread, cakes and pastries.
You can put mouldy food, small amounts of sauces, such as gravy or custard, and any unused pet food, ensuring all packaging is removed, in your caddy.
In your food waste caddy, you cannot put any:
- food in packaging, even if the food packaging is recyclable
- liquids, including milk, juices, or oils
- garden waste
- material that is not food waste, including recycling, general waste, or other kitchen waste
All this waste must be disposed of correctly in alternative bins.
Using the food waste service
Use your indoor kitchen caddy to collect food waste at home.
You can use compostable caddy liners, newspaper, or kitchen roll to line your caddy. Food waste can be put into your caddy loose, if you prefer. We will supply an initial roll of 26 liners to help you get used to using the service.
When ready, empty your indoor food waste into your larger outside caddy or shared food waste bin, ready for your collection day.
Frequently asked questions
When will I receive my food waste caddy?
We will be delivering the caddy before your first collection. We will keep you updated closer to the time.
What equipment will I receive?
You will be provided with:
- a small, indoor kitchen caddy, to collect your food waste
- a starter roll of liners, to line the kitchen caddy
- a larger outdoor food waste caddy, which will be emptied weekly. For flats, a larger outdoor 140-litre wheeled bin with an orange lid will be provided for food waste instead.
How does the food waste collection services work?
The food waste collection will be a weekly collection service.
Use your indoor kitchen caddy to collect food waste at home.
You can use compostable caddy liners, newspaper, or kitchen roll to line your caddy. Food waste can be put into your caddy loose if you prefer. We will supply a starter roll of 26 liners to help you get used to the service.
When ready, empty your indoor food waste caddy into your larger outside caddy or shared bin, ready for your collection day.
You will need to put your larger outside caddy at the edge of your property by 7am on your collection day. Put the caddy with the lid closed and the handle upright.
Will food waste be collected in the same vehicle as my other waste?
No. Separate dedicated food waste vehicles will be used.
Your outdoor caddy will be emptied directly into the food waste collection vehicle, or into a wheeled bin by the collection team to make their collections more efficient.
For flats, the food waste collection team will collect this from your shared bin store area and return it once it has been emptied.
I have assisted collection. How will this affect me?
If you already have an assisted collection for your other bins, this will be the same for your outdoor food caddy.
What happens to the food waste after collection?
More than 25% of the waste in an average waste bin is food.
When recycled, food waste can be turned into something useful. Your food waste will be taken to an anaerobic digestion plant, and used to generate natural forms of energy, such as biogas. This is an excellent alternative to fossil fuels, and a fertiliser or soil conditioner which can be used in farming.
I do not have space for the caddy. What should I do?
A lot of people find that keeping it under the sink, next to the kitchen bin, or on the worktop is practical. You can use your own container if you prefer.
What about smells?
You need to empty your indoor caddy regularly, as you would your kitchen bin. Odours will be reduced, as your food waste will be stored in your outdoor caddy, which has a lockable handle and is collected weekly. Your general waste bin, however, is currently collected fortnightly.
How can I keep my food waste caddy clean?
You will get a starter pack of liners with your caddy to help keep it clean. Replacement liners can be purchased from your local supermarket.
Empty your indoor caddy into the outdoor one regularly, and wash both with hot soapy water, with vinegar, or disinfectant. The small caddy can also go in the dishwasher at up to 60°C.
Can I still home compost?
Home composting is a brilliant way to recycle nutrients and make soil improver for your garden. For any food waste you cannot compost, like cooked food, you can put this in your food waste collection.
How are you funding the new food waste collection?
The Government has covered some of the setup and ongoing service costs, as it is a mandated service.
This new service is an important part of our work to tackle climate change and to recycle more of what we waste.
Still need help?
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