Food waste caddies make their way to residents as start of new weekly recycling service nears
30 June 2026
New weekly food waste collections are coming to Cheshire East, and residents will soon receive everything they need to prepare for the new recycling service.
From Monday 6 July, thousands of outdoor food waste caddies will start to be delivered to residents across Cheshire East ahead of the new service starting in autumn this year.
The caddies will be delivered in phases over several weeks – residents do not need to be at home to receive them.
Each caddy will contain information about how to use the service, plus a sticker for the caddy lid, which has space for residents to add their house number.
Residents living in flats or shared accommodation will be given either an individual caddy or be provided with a new communal 140-litre food waste wheelie bin. Generally, properties where there are three or more flats will be given a communal bin.
Residents should not start using their caddy/wheelie bin straight away and should check when their start date is – and whether there is any change to their collection day.
Details of the new collection schedules will be available by mid-September.
Councillor David Jefferay, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for environment, sustainability and waste management, said: “New weekly food waste collections are a huge step forward for recycling in Cheshire East and means more of the waste that’s collected can be transformed into something new – in this case, compost.
“Delivering a new recycling service takes a large amount of planning and work, and so it’s great news to now be at the point where our residents are about to receive all they need to prepare for food waste collections starting.
“With around 182,000 outdoor food waste caddies and bins to be delivered, it will take some time for everyone to receive theirs. That’s why we’re asking residents not to start using their caddy/wheelie bin as soon as they receive it, or put it out for collection.
“The council’s website will be updated with residents’ exact collection start dates by mid-September. Residents will then also be able to check if there is any change to their collection day, as collection routes and schedules are being updated to incorporate the new food waste service.”
Once weekly food waste collections start – which are a requirement of Government’s Simpler Recycling legislation - black bin (general waste) collections will move to three-weekly.
Silver bin (recycling) collections, and garden waste for those who subscribe to the garden waste recycling scheme, will continue as normal.
All food waste caddies are expected to be delivered by mid-September and will be distributed by an external company on behalf of the council.
Those living in shared accommodation or a block of three or more flats are likely to receive 140 litre wheelie bins delivered by in-house teams at the council, which are currently expected to be delivered in September.
Cllr Jefferay added: “We know that residents may have questions about how the service will work and the council’s website has today been updated with lots of useful information and advice, including about what can and can’t be put in the caddies, and how to keep the caddy locked and secure.
“Over the coming weeks, we’ll also continue with our ‘Be the BIG Difference’ campaign – supporting residents to recycle right, reduce waste and prepare for their new weekly food waste collections.”
More information about food waste collections.
Food waste caddy deliveries - phases:
Phase 1: Crewe and Middlewich.
Phase 2: Bridgemere, Hatherton, Henhull, Hough, Nantwich, Shavington, Stapeley, Weston, Willaston, Wistaston and Wybunbury.
Phase 3: Audlem, Barbridge, Bunbury, Calveley, Cholmondley, Haslington, Hassall Green, Minshull, Rode Heath, Sandbach and Wrenbury.
Phase 4: Alsager, Congleton (part), Holmes Chapel, Mow Cop, Scholar Green, Siddington
Phase 5: Congleton and Macclesfield.
Phase 6: Alderley Edge, Bollington, Bosley, Disley, Handforth, High Legh, Kettleshulme, Knutsford, Mere, Mobberley, Mottram St Andrews, Peover/Marthall, Poynton, Prestbury, Rainow, Tytherington, Wildboarclough and Wilmslow.
Residents living in more remote/isolated areas are likely to receive their caddy on a different timetable to that above.
Smaller kitchen caddies:
Residents may still have a smaller kitchen caddy from the rollout of a previous service. If they do, they can still use this to collect their food waste in before transferring to their outdoor food waste caddy for collection. Kitchen caddies should not be put out for collection and won’t be emptied by our crews.
As part of the rollout of the new service, a limited supply of the smaller kitchen caddies are available to be picked up for free at Cheshire East libraries and household waste recycling centres. There is no need to call ahead but a booking is needed for visiting household waste recycling centres at weekends and Bank Holidays.