Newham Council is introducing a new weekly food waste collection service for households across the borough. The service is being introduced in phases starting from this autumn with the aim of reaching all 137,000 households by 1 April, 2026, and will see food waste collected kerbside from houses, and communal bins in flats, weekly.
The plans were formally approved by Newham Council’s Cabinet Members during a meeting on Tuesday morning (6 May). Sarah Ruiz, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Environment, Sustainable Transport, Children’s Services and Education, said it was a major step forward in helping Newham tackle climate change and reduce its carbon footprint.
Ms Ruiz said: “By collecting food waste separately, we can cut greenhouse gas emissions, boost recycling, and reduce disposal costs, while creating useful by-products like fertiliser and clean energy. This is good for residents, good for our environment, and good for present and future generations of residents across our borough.
“It will also serve as a timely reminder of how much food we throw away and how we can save money by reducing waste.”
A consultation which took place in 2023 on the council’s Waste and Street Cleansing Strategy found 75% of residents were in support of a food waste service in Newham. According to the council, food waste currently makes up a large proportion of household waste, which is up to 247kg for a household of four people each year.
The council has received £2.6million in grant funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) which will be used to purchase caddies, food bins and collection vehicles. A further grant, expected to be confirmed in late spring 2025, will also go towards supporting the service. Newham will join other East London boroughs including Havering, Redbridge, and Barking and Dagenham which are also planning phased rollouts of their own food waste services.
