We’ll send you a full list of what you can and can't put in your new caddy, for example:

Yes please

• Fruit and vegetables - including peelings.
• Fish, meat and bones.
• Tea bags and coffee grounds.
• Eggs and dairy products.
• Bread products.
• Leftovers and out-of-date food (no containers or packaging)

No thanks

• No liquids, oils or fats.
• No garden waste.
• No food packaging.
• No non food waste.

If you would like to report your food waste collection being missed, please leave your food waste caddy at the kerbside and it will be collected the day after your collection day. If your food waste caddy still hasn't been collected after the following day then please report a missed collection here

Why  have we introduced this service?

The Government’s Simpler Recycling Initiative, part of the Environment Act 2021, requires all councils to introduce a weekly food waste collection service for residents from April 2026.
 

How do I use the service?

You will have received:

• a 7‑litre light grey kitchen caddy, and
• a 23‑litre light grey outdoor kerbside caddy.

Liners will be provided for your kitchen caddy. Simply tie the liner when full and place it into your kerbside caddy ready for your weekly collection. Both caddies have lockable lids to help prevent spills and pests.
 

I haven’t received my caddies?

Both caddies, along with a roll of liners, were delivered in April 2026. If you haven’t received a caddy you can order a set including liners by phoning CCDC on 01543462621 or online at https://customers.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/WasteBinReplacementCCDC

When did the service start?

Collections began week commencing 27 April 2026.
 

When will my collection be?

Your kerbside caddy will be emptied weekly, on the same day as your current waste and recycling collections.

Please place your caddy alongside or in front of your bins so it is clearly visible to the crew. Food waste will be collected by a separate vehicle.
 

What happens when I run out of liners?

Near the end of each roll, you will find a yellow re‑order tag. Tie this to your kerbside caddy handle and the crew will leave a new roll inside your caddy after collection.

You may also use any other plastic or carrier bag if needed.

Alternatively, you can collect a roll of liners from the following locations:

• Cannock Chase District Council, Civic Offices, Beecroft Road, Cannock, WS11 1BG
• Cannock Library, Manor Avenue, Cannock, WS11 1AA
• Rugeley Library, Anson Street, Rugeley, WS15 2BB
• Brereton Library, Talbot Road, Rugeley, WS15 1AU
• Heath Hayes Library, Hednesford Road, Heath Hayes, WS12 3AA
• Norton Canes Library, Burntwood Road, Norton Canes, WS11 9RF
• Hednesford Library, Market Street, Hednesford, WS12 1AD

What if I don’t want to participate? Can I opt out?

No. The Government has introduced this service as part of national recycling requirements, and all councils must provide a weekly food waste collection for every household. Because of this, we are unable to remove the caddies from properties — each home must have an allocated set, even if residents choose not to use them.

Why is using the service a benefit for me?

By using the food waste collection service, you can free up valuable space in your domestic bin. At the moment, residents receive a fortnightly collection of a 240‑litre bin. By separating out your food waste, you could remove up to 23 litres per week, creating as much as 46 litres of extra capacity over two weeks. This helps prevent your general waste bin from becoming full as quickly and makes managing household waste easier.

Why are plastic liners being used instead of compostable ones?

Experience from other councils shows compostable liners often split easily, creating mess and discouraging residents from recycling food waste.

Plastic liners:

• are stronger and more reliable
• increase participation in food waste recycling
• are removed at the processing plant and incinerated to generate energy, so they do not affect the recycling process.

If single‑use plastic is harmful, why use plastic liners at all?

Plastic liners provide a cleaner, easier and more durable way to use the service. Evidence shows residents are more likely to recycle food waste when liners are provided, which increases overall environmental benefit. However, you can choose not to use the provided liners but you will then need to clean your caddies frequently.

I am using quite a lot of liners, is this ok?

Liners will continue to be provided to households who participate in the food waste collection service. However, we are aware that some participants are changing liners daily or with only a very small amount of food waste in them. We recommend that the liner is changed when near capacity or at least on a weekly basis. 

I receive an assisted collection. Will this continue?

Yes. Your kerbside caddy will be collected from your usual assisted collection point.

I live in a flat/apartment. Can I use the service?

Yes. All communal properties will have received:

• a 7 litre kitchen caddy
• a roll of liners

Please tie your liners and place them in the 140‑litre light grey communal food waste bin in your bin store.

Note for communal residents: please email wasteservices@cannockchasedc.gov.uk to request replacement liners or telephone 01543 462621.

Is there a charge for this service?

No. Food waste collections are a statutory service and are provided free of charge.

What can I put in my food waste caddy?

You can include all food waste, such as:

• meat and fish (raw or cooked, including bones)
• dairy products (e.g., cheese, eggs, eggshells)
• raw or cooked fruit and vegetables
• bread, cakes, pastries
• rice, pasta, beans
• tea bags and coffee grounds
• out‑of‑date food
• plate scrapings and leftovers

What can’t go in the caddy?

Your caddy must not contain:

• animal litter
• faeces
• bedding
• any non‑food contamination

Contaminated caddies will not be collected.
 

What about food packaging?

Please remove all packaging before placing food into your liner. Dispose of packaging as you normally would in your green and blue bins and blue bag as required.

My kitchen caddy creates a lot of condensation, how can I prevent this?

When disposing of your food waste you should ensure that the food isn’t hot when placed inside the caddy as this will cause the contents to condense. If warm or hot food is placed inside the caddy please keep the lid slightly open for ventilation which will help prevent condensation.

What happens to the food waste?

Food waste is recycled through Anaerobic Digestion (AD). This process:

• produces biogas, a renewable energy source used to generate electricity and heat
• creates bio‑fertiliser, rich in nutrients, which is used on local farmland to support crop growth

Can I still put food waste in my domestic bin?

Yes, but we encourage residents to use the weekly food waste collection.

Can I put my house number on the caddy?

Yes, and we recommend doing so.

My caddy has been missed — what should I do?

You can report a missed collection online.

Please ensure your caddy is:

• presented by 7am on collection day
• placed in a visible location
• closed with the lid fully shut