Residents across Lincolnshire have recycled 6,056 tonnes of food waste in the first six months of the county’s new weekly collection service -
generating enough energy to charge 127 million phones and produced approximately 5,147 tonnes of fertiliser.
The first collections began across City of Lincoln, North Kesteven and West Lindsey at the end of March 2026, followed by South Kesteven in April.
Available data indicates that around one in two households are putting their food waste caddy out for collection each week, with participation reaching around seven in ten households in some parts of the county.
There are also encouraging signs that participation is increasing as residents get used to the service. In South Kesteven, for example, presentation has risen from around 57% during the opening week to approximately 71% in the latest completed week.
Cllr Danny Brookes, Chair of Lincolnshire Waste Partnership at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “It’s really encouraging to see how residents have responded to weekly food waste collections during these first six months.
“Thousands of tonnes of food waste are now being collected separately and put to good use rather than being mixed in with general waste.
“We’re also seeing participation grow as people get used to separating their food waste and make it part of their weekly routine.
“I’d like to thank everyone using their food waste caddy, along with the collection crews and teams across our councils who have worked incredibly hard to introduce these new services.
“With further areas joining during 2026, we’re looking forward to seeing even more Lincolnshire households recycling their food waste.”
Food waste collected through Lincolnshire’s service is taken to BioteCH4’s anaerobic digestion facility at Hemswell, where it is used to generate energy and produce fertiliser.
Commenting on the milestone, Commercial Director at BioteCH4 Phil Roche, said: “The successful rollout of weekly food waste collections across Lincolnshire demonstrates what can be achieved through strong collaboration between local authorities, service providers and residents. With the introduction of food waste collections, councils across the UK are adapting to significant changes in how food waste is collected and managed, and it is encouraging to see Lincolnshire delivering such positive results from the outset.
“As a Lincolnshire-based business, we are proud to be supporting this transition by providing the treatment infrastructure and operational capacity needed to process the material collected across the county. The growing participation from residents not only reflects the success of the rollout but also helps ensure more food waste is converted into renewable energy and nutrient-rich fertiliser, delivering long-term environmental and economic value for the region.”
Introducing the service has involved delivering hundreds of thousands of caddies, recruiting and training additional crews, introducing specialist collection vehicles and creating new rounds across Lincolnshire’s urban and rural communities.
Weekly household food waste collections form part of the Government’s Simpler Recycling requirements.
The countywide rollout will continue this autumn, with Boston Borough and East Lindsey due to begin weekly food waste collections in October, shortly followed by South Holland. This will mean even more households across Lincolnshire can separate their food waste for weekly collection, helping turn it into energy and fertiliser.
Councils will continue to monitor participation, tonnages and the quality of material collected as the countywide rollout continues during 2026.
For more information about food waste recycling in Lincolnshire, visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/foodwaste.