UK Staffordshire’s new county‑wide weekly food waste recycling service has got off to a strong and encouraging start, according to the first figures released.
High levels of resident participation and significant amounts of food waste already being diverted from general rubbish and transformed into electricity and fertilizer.
Since the end of March, the service has begun rolling out across the county, with East Staffordshire, Stafford Borough and Cannock Chase among the first areas to see collections start.
801 tonnes of food waste collected during April
Early results show strong take‑up, with 801 tonnes of food waste collected during April across the operational districts and boroughs.
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In Stafford Borough, where the service launched in mid-April, residents recycled more than 246 tonnes of food waste in the first two weeks. Collection crews even carried out additional rounds to keep up with demand – a clear sign that households are embracing the new service from day one.
In East Staffordshire, weekly food waste collections began at the end of March, with households receiving new indoor and outdoor caddies and free liners ahead of the launch. with 196 tonnes of food waste collected during April and collections running smoothly across the borough.
Strong public engagement
In Cannock Chase, where collections started in late April, with early feedback suggesting strong public engagement, with 85 tonnes of food waste collected in the very first week of operation.
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Newcastle‑under‑Lyme, which has operated a long-standing weekly food waste service, continues to demonstrate what long‑term participation can achieve. Almost half of households already use the service regularly, recycling thousands of tonnes of food waste each year and providing a proven model for the rest of the county.
All the councils work together on waste reduction through the Staffordshire Sustainability Board, which has agreed its joint vision and pledges for 2026.
Andrew Mynors, Cabinet Member for Connectivity at Staffordshire County Council, said: “It is fantastic to see such a positive response from residents in the first areas where the new food waste recycling service has launched”.
“Early take-up has exceeded expectations and shows that people are willing to make small changes at home that can have a big impact across the county”, he added.
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He said: “Every banana skin, tea bag, plate scraping or leftover that goes into a food waste caddy instead of the general rubbish bin helps us recycle more and reduce waste. We want to thank residents who are already using the service and encourage them to keep going every week.”
Recycled into something useful
Food waste collected through the service is taken away from general rubbish and recycled into something useful. In Staffordshire, this means food waste can be turned into renewable energy and fertiliser for local farms and green spaces.
The service also supports wider behaviour change by helping households see how much food they are throwing away, encouraging people to waste less in the first place as well as recycle more.
The next phase of the rollout will see food waste collections introduced in South Staffordshire, Staffordshire Moorlands, Lichfield and Tamworth over the coming months.
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Andrew added: “This is just the start. The early response shows real momentum, but the biggest difference will come from residents continuing to use their caddies week after week.”
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