New food waste collection service

Recycling collection (every two weeks) 

Use your blue-lidded bin for recyclable waste, collected fortnightly. See suitable recyclable items. 

Optional garden waste collection (every two weeks) 

Use your green bin for garden waste, collected fortnightly. See fees and sign up for the collection service. Alternatively, you can compost at home. 

Refuse collection (every two weeks) 

Your black bin will be collected every two weeks. 

Service updates 

Some waste collection days may change, updates will be provided before the new service launches in summer 2026. 

Stay informed with the Rugby Borough Council app, where you can check your next bin collection date and easily see what waste belongs in each bin. 
 

The benefits of the new food waste service: 

• Less waste and recycling more. 
• Lower costs on waste treatment and disposal. 
• Better efficiency by using modern vehicles and improved collection routes. 
• Supporting sustainability and climate action. 

Why are we doing this? 

The government has implemented a new “Simpler Recycling” plan to make recycling as straightforward and easy as possible.  

As part of this, Rugby is rolling out our new food waste collection service, which will allow every household to recycle their food waste, keeping your kitchens cleaner, the planet greener, and bins less smelly. 

Food waste that is sent to landfill decomposes into methane, a greenhouse gas that is 25 times as potent as CO2, as well as contaminating material recycling and preventing it from being processed.  

Instead, by sending food waste to an anaerobic digestive plant, we can take that dangerous gas and reuse it to generate energy and provide power for the local community. This means we can save the earth, and money, at the same time.  

Key facts on food waste 

• Across the whole of the UK, the estimated cost of the amount of edible food thrown away every year is £17 billion.
• Food and drink waste creates an estimated 18 million tonnes of CO2 a year. 
• We throw away 9.5 million tonnes of food waste each year. 

The new food waste collection system will make disposal easier and more efficient. 

A compact 7-litre indoor food caddy lets you conveniently gather all types of food waste, including meat, dairy, leftovers, fruit, and vegetables.  

Once full, simply transfer the contents to the larger 23-litre outdoor caddy, or the 140-litre bin if you live in a flat, which will be collected weekly. 

The outdoor caddy comes with a secure, lockable lid to keep pests out. Please ensure it is properly closed and placed at the front of your property on your scheduled collection day, your collection dates will be announced closer to the service launch. 

Q) What if I don't produce any food waste?

A) Remember there is no amount too small. The best thing we can do with our food is enjoy it but some waste like banana skins, tea bags, and plate scrapings are inevitable and this can all be recycled. 

Q) I don’t have time to do this – why should I?

A) Food waste that goes to landfill releases methane – a harmful greenhouse gas, that's about 25 times as potent as CO2. By collecting food waste separately, we can use these gases to produce energy, saving money and the earth at the same time.

Q) Can I still put my food waste in my green garden bin?

A) No, because from July onwards, garden waste will be sent to Open Windrow Composting site, which food waste cannot be processed at, because it will not be able to kill off the bacteria in food waste and make it safe for use. For garden waste, the open composting site means the garden waste can be completely composted for use, which cannot be done if it has food contaminating it. Meanwhile the anaerobic digestion plant that the food waste will be sent to is capable of trapping the escaping gas from food waste and storing it to be converted into energy, as well as extracting liquid digestate that can be used for fertiliser. This means we are getting more out of the same material!

Q) I have no space for my caddy, what can I do? 

A) A lot of people find that keeping it under the sink, next to the kitchen bin or on the work top is really practical. And remember you can use your own container if you prefer something more stylish or it fits better in your kitchen. 

Q) Will the food in my bin smell? 

A) Regularly emptying and cleaning the bin will keep it fresh and ensure any nasty smells are dealt with - and the caddies can even be washed in the dishwasher. The best thing to line the caddy with is a plastic bag.

Q) Will the bin attract pests or rats?

A) The outside bin is lockable, which means pests can be easily kept from getting in - all you need to do is put the caddy handle in the locked position.

Q) What can I line my caddy with?

A) The best way to line a food waste caddy is with a plastic bag, because these will keep the food waste securely in the  caddy, and do not breakdown in the anaerobic digestion process, which means they can be retrieved and fully recycled after the digestion has been completed.

The new food waste caddies are designed to collect exactly what it says on the tin - food waste. 

You can put all food in your caddies, from raw and uncooked meats, fruit and veg peels, tea bags and coffee grounds. 

Just make sure you only put food in there. Food packaging, like plastic bags or wraps should be disposed of according to their packaging. 

It is also not possible to dispose of thin liquids, so for example anything as thick as yoghurt or more is fine, but milk is not.

What to put in your food waste caddy: 

• Meat and fish scraps 
• Vegetable scraps  
• Fruits 
• Nuts and grains 
• Leftovers (rice, bread, beans, pasta, soup, sauce) 
• Coffee grounds and tea bags 
• Dairy products (milk, eggs, butter) 
• Cooking oil, animal fat and grease 

What NOT to put in your food waste caddy: 

• Compostable cups and packaging  
• Flowers  
• Food packaging  
• Garden waste  
• Glass  
• Non food products  
• Vegetable packaging 

We are excited to launch our latest competition, 'Name Our New Food Waste Lorries', open to all primary school children in the borough.  

Running from 9 February to 23 March, pupils have a chance to name our 10 new food waste collection lorries, making a permanent addition to Rugby’s waste collection services. Judges include Cllr Alison Livesey, Portfolio Holder for Operations and Traded Services, as well as local leaders and waste management experts.  

Prizes include LEGO sets and a chance to see the winning entries in person. 

Entries can be submitted to foodwaste@rugby.gov.uk before 23 March, and the winning entries will be announced 27 March.
  

Entry sheets

Entry sheets are available here.