Bin collections in Merseyside set to add food waste service

Knowsley Council has published photos of new food-waste collection vehicles and will begin household food waste collections from April 13, supported in part by a £1.28m DEFRA allocation.

Knowsley Council has published photographs of new food-waste collection vehicles arriving at its waste depot as part of a planned rollout across Merseyside. The vehicles are described as state of the art and can carry up to 2.4 tonnes of food waste. The change is being introduced ahead of a legal requirement for councils to collect household food waste from March 31, 2026. The council has said the programme aims to reduce landfill and to convert food waste into compost or green energy. Key facts: - Each new vehicle can transport up to 2.4 tonnes of food waste. - The rollout is partly funded by a £1.28m allocation from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. - Households in Knowsley will receive a food waste kit that includes an indoor caddy, an outdoor kerbside caddy and a roll of liners. - First collections in the borough are scheduled to begin on April 13. - From March 31, 2026 councils will be legally required to collect food waste and send it for recycling by composting or anaerobic digestion. Summary: The new vehicles and household kits are intended to reduce the amount of food sent to landfill and to support local environmental targets. Knowsley will deliver kits to every household and begin collections from April 13. The programme is linked to DEFRA funding and the national collection requirement coming into force on March 31, 2026.