Plan to buy land for food waste collection service

Councillors in Derby are set to consider plans to buy land to make space for a new weekly food waste collection service.

The city council wants to have the scheme up and running by April 2026 but says its current depot in Stores Road is already operating at capacity.

It has identified a 7.5-acre brownfield in Stores Road that, if approved, would become home to a Highways Hub, creating space in the existing depot for the food waste service.

The plans will be discussed at a council cabinet meeting on 9 April.

The authority currently provides fortnightly food waste collections mixed with garden waste.

Under the new scheme, households will be provided with two food caddies - one for kitchens and another for collection.

The council said it had been given £1.6m from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs to buy 14 new waste vehicles, caddies and hiring new collection staff.

Council officers previously estimated about 4,800 tonnes of food waste will be diverted from the landfill.

Ndukwe Onuoha, cabinet member for street pride, public safety and leisure, said: "We know that food waste makes up a huge chunk of the waste in some black bins in the city and costs a significant amount to dispose of.

"Introducing weekly food waste collections brings a lot of benefits to residents including helping reduce food waste, which saves money, but ensuring food waste in the city is recycled is also far better for the environment."

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