Food waste
To recycle food waste, empty all food waste into your brown bin in time for your weekly collection.
What food waste can be recycled
You can recycle all types of food waste, including:
- meat and fish
- plate leftovers and scraps
- fruit and vegetable peelings and cores
- bread, pasta and rice
- egg shells
- tea bags and coffee grounds.
You cannot recycle:
- packaging
- liquids such as milk
- oil or liquid fat
- any material that is not food waste.
You could also use any leftover food to make quick and simple meals at home. For recipes as well as tips to make cooking easier, see our recipes and cookery tips page.
Putting food waste into a brown bin
Place food directly into your brown bin or use a kitchen caddy first.
If you've subscribed to the garden waste subscription service and have additional permitted brown bins, you must only use these bins for garden waste.
Alternatively, you can collect a silver 5 litre kitchen caddy from any Medway community hub or library free of charge.
If you live in a flat
From 6 April 2026, there will be a food waste collection service for flats.
Please place your food waste into your silver caddy, then empty it into your communal food recycling bin.
Find out more about the food waste collection service for flats.
Using and caring for your kitchen caddy
Line the caddy with newspaper or compostable caddy liners. You can buy caddy liners from any Medway library for £2.50 per roll of 26 (or £2.60 from 1 April 2026) or from most supermarkets.
To keep your caddy clean, regularly wash it in warm, soapy water or put it in the dishwasher.
Do not leave your silver caddy out for collection. Empty it into your brown bin beforehand.
Why recycle food waste
We encourage all residents to recycle their food waste because it:
- reduces the amount of rubbish going into black sacks
- reduces mess caused by pests ripping open black sacks containing food
- reduces carbon emissions caused by food waste in landfill
- creates high‑quality compost for local agriculture.
What happens to your food waste
After collection, food waste is mixed with garden waste and transformed into compost used on farmland.
Your leftovers help grow new crops and support a greener environment.