Swale Borough Council has been named Kent’s top performer for improving food waste collections, saving an extra 1,100 tonnes from the bin between April 2025 and March 2026. The 41% jump, far above the county average of 18%, is equivalent to 183 million eggshells, the council announced.
The extra tonnage comes as crews lift food caddies weekly across the borough, tipping contents into separate vehicle compartments before taking it to a local anaerobic digestion plant. There, the waste breaks down into biomethane for the National Grid and a nutrient-rich digestate that becomes fertiliser for local farms.
Demand for the council’s free caddies has surged following the results, causing slight delivery delays as staff work through remaining orders. The service already reaches most households, with the final properties being added to rounds under the government’s Simpler Recycling regime, which requires every English home to receive food collections by 2026.
Keeping food out of general waste bins also helps keep recycling loads clean. The council has repeatedly warned that even small amounts of food waste can ruin entire batches, forcing contaminated loads to be burned at a cost of roughly £2,000 per load instead of being recycled. Crews already leave explanatory tags and unemptied bins where food is found mixed with recyclables.
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