About the food waste pilot
Your household has been chosen to take part in our food waste pilot. This trial will help us increase recycling and lower the amount of food waste sent to our 'energy from waste facility'.
Key dates
Between Saturday 7 March and Friday 13 March 2026, you will receive a:
- 7 litre grey indoor kitchen caddy
- 23 litre brown outdoor food caddy
- letter with instructions on how to use your new caddies
- a sticker so that you can label your new outdoor food waste caddy
From Monday 16 March 2026, weekly food waste collections will begin in your area.
How long this pilot will last
This pilot will continue until the food waste service is available to all households in Birmingham.
Food waste collections will be introduced in phases between June 2026 and March 2027. This will be part of a wider programme of changes to waste and recycling collections.
Why your household has been chosen
Around 10,000 households across 6 wards have been selected to take part in this pilot.
Not all properties within pilot wards are included at this stage.
The pilot includes a mix of property types and household sizes to make sure the service works effectively across different settings before a full rollout.
Why we are running a food waste pilot
The pilot will introduce weekly food waste collections ahead of the citywide rollout planned from June 2026.
It supports the government's Simpler Recycling reforms under the Environment Act 2021, which require councils to introduce separate weekly food waste collections.
The pilot allows the council to test the service before it is rolled out across the whole city and supports our ambition to improve Birmingham's recycling performance.
Running a pilot allows us to:
- test the service in different types of properties
- identify and fix any operational issues
- improve the effectiveness of collections
- make any changes before the citywide rollout
If you choose not to use this service
We are asking everyone in the pilot area to separate their food waste because everything we throw away affects the environment. By recycling your food waste in your caddy, you also free up space in your general waste bin for items that cannot be recycled.
Recycling food waste is important and is better than sending it to be treated at the 'energy from waste facility'.
Your food waste caddy will still be collected weekly, in case you decide to use it later.
Benefits
- Separating your food waste helps you see how much is being thrown away, which allows you to cut back and save money on food you do not end up eating
- Since food waste is collected weekly, your kitchen and outdoor caddies stay fresher, which reduces smells and lowers the chance of attracting flies
- Recycling your food waste also benefits the environment – instead of going to waste, it is transformed into green energy and fertiliser that support local farms in the region, turning leftovers into something useful
Page last updated: 5 March 2026
