Blaby District to Launch Food Waste Collection with New Fleet

Seven new green bin lorries, alongside thousands of new bins and caddies, are set to be acquired for the implementation of food waste collections in a specific area of Leicestershire. Blaby District Council has announced that weekly collections for residents throughout the Blaby district will commence in April 2026. The collected food will be transported to biogas plants to produce green energy, as stated by Blaby District Council, rather than being sent to landfill via black bins. An order will be placed for a fleet of vehicles, each costing £105,000 and powered by vegetable oil, to facilitate waste collection from residents across the area. Each household in Blaby will receive a small bin for waste items such as tea bags, vegetable peelings, and left-overs, along with a larger outdoor bin for storing food waste bags. The authority indicated that this scheme is being introduced to comply with government regulations regarding food waste. The government reported that over 10 million tonnes of food are wasted annually across the UK. It also stated that a nationwide rollout of collections could contribute to reducing more than 18 million tonnes of national greenhouse gas emissions linked to food waste. Councils will be legally mandated to introduce such schemes starting from March 31, 2026. Nigel Grundy, the district council’s neighbourhood services and assets portfolio holder, remarked that the collections will be “a challenge” but affirmed that the council “applauds the reasoning behind it”. He further added: “I think once people realise how much food they are throwing away – thanks to it being collected in one place – they will want to act. “If you are throwing away food you are throwing away money.” On Tuesday, the council agreed to contribute £50,000 to the rollout, supplementing £920,000 in government grants.