Renfrewshire Council

Recycle your food waste instead of putting it in your general waste bin. This allows us to take it to a special processing plant and turn it into useful compost.

Who can recycle food waste

You can recycle your food waste if your property is on a wheeled bin collection route, if you live in a flat with communal waste storage, or if you present an outdoor food waste caddy.

If your property is not on one of our food waste collection routes, then we cannot collect your food waste. Instead, consider composting your food waste at home (Recycle Now's website), or you can put your food waste in your grey bin with your general waste.

Check your bin collection calendar to find out if your property is eligible.

How to recycle your food waste

We provide a free food waste caddy and an annual supply of food waste liners so you can recycle your food waste.

To recycle your food waste, put one of the food waste liners in your indoor food waste caddy. Then, put your food waste into the caddy.

Once the caddy is almost full, tie the liner, remove it, and replace it with a new liner.

Put the full liner of food waste into your brown bin (or your outdoor food waste caddy, if you do not have a brown bin).

You can also put your food waste directly into the caddy and bin without using the liners, if you want.

We'll collect your food waste recycling at the same pickup point as your other bins. Check your bin collection calendar or check online to find your next collection date.

Check your bin collection calendar online.

What goes in your food waste caddy

These items can go in your food waste caddy:

• cooked and uncooked food
• fruit and vegetable peelings
• tea bags and coffee grounds
• eggshells
• out-of-date food (packaging removed)
• solid dairy products
• meat, fish, and small bones
• pet food.

Do not put these items in your food waste caddy:

• plastic bags
• packaging
• liquids
• fats and cooking oils (set these aside and wait for them to solidify, and then they can go in your general waste bin)
• plastics, cans, and glass
• paper, card, and cardboard
• garden waste (this should go directly into your brown bin, but you'll need to buy a garden waste permit first).

How to get more food waste liners or a new food waste caddy

Food waste liners

We'll deliver an annual supply of food waste liners to your address each year.

If you need more food waste liners, there may be some available at your local library or one of our household waste recycling centres. Otherwise, you can buy your own liners from your local supermarket.

Indoor food waste caddy

You can order a new indoor food waste caddy by:

• using our online form
• phoning us on 0300 300 0380.

Outdoor food waste caddy

Some addresses in Renfrewshire are not on a brown bin collection route. These homes have outdoor food waste caddies instead of brown bins.

If you live at one of these addresses, you can order a new outdoor food waste caddy by phoning us on 0300 300 0380.

You cannot order an outdoor food waste caddy if your home is on a brown bin collection route.

Check your bin collection calendar if you're unsure whether you should use a brown bin or an outdoor food waste caddy.