Food waste collections planned for Derby by 2026

Food waste collection trucks could be on the streets of Derby by April 2026

Councillors in Derby have signed off plans to implement a food waste collection service.

Money has been earmarked to provide households with a food waste caddie and purchase collection trucks.

The city council is hoping to have the scheme up and running by 1 April 2026.

Councillor Hardyal Dhindsa, cabinet member for communities and street pride, told the BBC the new collections would reduce carbon emissions by diverting waste from landfill sites.

The council estimates it could save about 4,800 tonnes of food waste from landfill

The Labour-run authority's cabinet approved the plan, which includes a £2m capital spend - mostly government funding - on resources to run the scheme.

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

In turn, they said the scheme would reduce carbon emissions with the waste used for compost in which products can be used to generate electricity.

But the leading manufacturer of food caddies has said it only has capacity to produce 55% of the country's potential requirement, creating an "urgency to compete with other councils".

The main supplier of collection lorries has also said an order needs to be submitted by June 2024 to guarantee delivery.

Mr Dhindsa is the cabinet member responsible for the scheme

Mr Dhindsa said: "The food we throw away impacts the carbon emissions we send into the atmosphere... collections like these match up with our own ambitions to increase recycling.

"This will require a separate collection process. This is national scheme but this is the stage where we start to procure the vehicles and the types of containers needed.

"If we don't do this now, then the chances of getting these [resources] to go live will not be possible."