Residents’ Stellar Efforts Help Drive Up Food Waste and Recycling Tonnages

Reading's kerbside food waste collection volumes improved by 19% and recycling by 17% over the festive season, thanks to an incredible push last month by residents to reduce the amount of food and recyclables they put in their grey bins.

In mid-November Reading Council and re3 launched a borough-wide campaign to encourage residents to recycle more food and keep it out of their general waste bins.

It included bin stickers, leaflets, free caddy liners, radio adverts and bus screen messages to remind residents to avoid recyclable food items slipping into their general waste by mistake, and to encourage residents who are not making use of their weekly kerbside food waste collections to get started.

Tonnage data for December – the first full month of the campaign – showed it is already reaping dividends. In comparison to December 2024, latest figures show:

• a 19% increase in food waste collected – an extra 103 tonnes – reducing both general waste bin tonnages and disposal costs
• A 17% increase in kerbside recycling tonnages – amounting to an extra 140 tonnes of recycling not being treated as expensive general waste
• A 7% reduction in general waste – 150 tonnes less than the previous December

Karen Rowland, Lead Councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety, said:

“This is a tremendous effort by Reading residents and our sincere thanks go to them for responding so positively to the Council’s campaign. We knew that our residents had it in them, and the proof is in some really impressive numbers!

“Every bit of food waste recycled helps generate renewable energy and bring disposal costs down, allowing funding to be used for other vital services in our town.

“The festive period and the start of the New Year are key times for food waste recycling, as people often have more leftovers and are thinking about positive new habits. It’s wonderful to see more residents responding by using their food caddies, armed with the stickers, leaflets and free liners that were delivered across the town as a gentle reminder of how, as individuals, we can all make a real difference.

“And in the spirit of New Year resolutions, we really hope this is something residents will recommit to for 2026 and beyond.”

Residents across the borough will have likely noticed red reminder stickers on grey general waste bins, along with the delivery of leaflets and extra food waste caddy liners to their homes. Audio adverts and visuals on bus interior screens will continue throughout January, reinforcing the message that food waste does not belong in the general waste but should all be recycled - from plate scrapings and peelings to meat bones, eggshells, tea bags, coffee grounds and even cooking oil when sealed in a container.

Food waste recycling not only benefits the environment but also helps reduce disposal costs, as food waste is cheaper to process than general waste. It also means cleaner, less smelly bins for residents, as food recycling bins are collected weekly.

Residents who are missing a food waste caddy or outdoor food bin, or who need a replacement, can order one free of charge at www.reading.gov.uk/orderacaddy, or collect them from the Council’s depot at 19 Bennet Road, Reading, RG2 0QX from 8am to 2pm Monday to Friday. Further free caddy liners can be collected from Reading’s libraries and leisure centres.