Adur and Worthing residents get a new food waste routine: what residents need to know

Public Services Desk 2026-10-06 14:42 Updated: 10:17 2 min read

Blue plastic crates used for household recycling storage and waste management systems.

By UW99 editorial team

Households included in the first phase of Adur and Worthing’s new food waste service now have an additional weekly collection. Food scraps go into the kitchen caddy, then into the orange-lidded outdoor food waste bin for collection.

Adur and Worthing councils reported on 29 September 2026 that the first week collected 72.3 tonnes from thousands of homes. The rollout has two phases, so residents awaiting phase two should wait for the councils to contact them with their start details.

Move food scraps from the caddy to the outdoor bin

Put leftover food into the new kitchen caddy instead of the general waste bin. The councils specifically identify plate scrapings, peelings and tea bags as examples of what residents can collect this way.

Adur and Worthing residents get a new food waste routine: what residents need to know

When the kitchen caddy is full, empty its contents into the orange-lidded outdoor food waste recycling bin. That outdoor bin is the container used for the weekly collection; the kitchen caddy helps households gather scraps indoors.

The service separates food that previously went into general waste so it can be processed into energy and fertiliser. It was introduced as part of the government’s Simpler Recycling programme.

Check your weekly collection day and report missed bins

Food waste collections take place every week. Residents can check their bin collection day on the councils’ website or sign up for smartphone reminders through the councils’ app.

The councils said teething problems with the new collection vehicles caused a small number of missed pickups during the first week. Residents can report missed bins online, and the councils said they aim to return quickly to those reported addresses.

First week collected more than three truckloads

The 72.3 tonnes collected was equivalent to filling more than three ordinary household waste trucks entirely with discarded food, according to the councils. Specialist smaller vehicles and newly recruited staff carried out the collections.

The waste travels to a processing plant near Horsham, operated on behalf of West Sussex County Council. There, anaerobic digestion converts it into biofertiliser for local farmers and renewable energy.

The energy powers the plant itself, with any surplus exported to the national grid to supply homes. Residents in phase two will receive further contact from the councils about when their collections will begin.

Source: Adur and Worthing Councils News

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source and service details

The collection instructions, rollout details and first-week figures were checked against the supplied council notice released on 29 September 2026.

Checks

The notice specifies a kitchen caddy and an orange-lidded outdoor food waste bin.
Collections are weekly, with collection days available through the councils’ website.
The first-week total is 72.3 tonnes, collected from thousands of homes.
The rollout has two phases; the notice gives no start date for phase two.

Adur and Worthing Councils News Search for further reporting