New bins and lorries planned as Newark and Sherwood District Council prepares to roll out kerbside domestic food waste collections by October 2027 DEFRA deadline as part of UK government’s National Resources and Waste Strategy

The process of setting up a domestic kerbside food waste collection service in the district has begun, with more than £2.5m allocated for the plans.

Newark and Sherwood District Council’s cabinet met this week to discuss plans to introduce the new service, after central government mandated that all council’s across the UK must provide food waste collections.

As part of efforts to improve the way in which recyclable waste is managed through the National Resources and Waste Strategy, the council will need to buy eight new waste collection lorries for the purpose, and a potential of over 55,000 dedicated food waste bins could be rolled out across the district.

A capital budget of £1,304,750 has been allocated to fund the service, with an additional £1,215,299 revenue grant added to the Residential Food Waste Reserve in the event of additional costs.

The new 11-tonne food waste lorries will make collections on a weekly basis, and will be capable of running on treated vegetable oil, reducing carbon emissions.

The new service is being organised in conjunction with other councils through the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Waste Consortium, so that there is a smoother transition into unitary authorities when the Local Government Reorganisation takes place in spring 2028.

Food waste will be taken to a central Nottinghamshire depot in Colwick, which will be used by all other council areas.

Under the plans, all households in Newark and Sherwood will be given two additional bins to store food waste.

The bins will take the form of a 23 litre caddy to be stored outside — instead of a full sized wheelie bin — with a smaller five to seven litre countertop caddy to be kept indoors.

Although the council has a statutory requirement to provide the new service, residents are able to decline the new bins if they do not want them.

This will be similar to the opt-out system used when kerbside glass recycling bins were introduced across the district in 2024.

An assisted collection service is also available, particularly for those with disabilities who may find it difficult to put their bins out.

National government guidance set out that all waste collection authorities across the country must provide weekly household food waste collections by the end of March 2026.

However, Newark and Sherwood District Council and DEFRA have agreed an alternative launch date of October 2027, as a transitional arrangement to account for potential changes in the lead up to Local Government Reorganisation.

Similar domestic food waste collection services are already in the process of being rolled out across other parts of the country, including in Lincolnshire.

From April 2026, what is accepted in the current silver recycling bins will be also expanded to include items such as food and drink cartons, plastic tubs, pots and trays, and clean foil, to simplify the recycling process as part of the National Resources and Waste Strategy.

Deputy leader of the council Rowan Cozens raised concerns about the potential for the bins to attract wildlife or cause unpleasant smells, while cabinet member Paul Taylor questioned the logistics of introducing more bins to households where storage may be limited.

Council officers stated that weekly collections had been chosen to prevent waste from sitting out for too long and avoid any negative environmental issues, and that the smaller caddy bins would take up less space than a standard wheelie bin and residents did not have to take them if they did not want to.

Newark and Sherwood District Council’s cabinet approved the recommendations, subject to a call-in.