Cheshire East households should keep their new food waste caddies but leave them off the kerbside for now, after the council postponed weekly collections until early 2027.
The delay also puts back the move to three-weekly black-bin collections. That change will begin alongside the food waste service, rather than going ahead separately this autumn.
In its 8 October announcement, Cheshire East Council said shortages of drivers and loading staff, together with vehicle breakdowns, had contributed to missed collections. It wants to concentrate on restoring the existing service before introducing another collection round.
The council had been preparing for a November launch. It describes the decision as a postponement and says further information will follow early in the new year. An exact start date has not been announced.
Which bins should residents put out now?
The council’s current collection guidance says the existing fortnightly cycle continues until early 2027: black bins one week, with recycling and subscribed garden-waste bins the other week. Residents should follow their address-specific calendar and have containers at their usual collection point by 6.30am.
Receiving a caddy does not mean the new service has started. The council’s food waste instructions explicitly tell residents not to present it for collection yet.
What will change when the service starts?
Food waste will be collected weekly, without a separate sign-up or additional charge. Black-bin collections will move to every three weeks, and some households will have a different collection day.
The planned rollout will take place over two weeks, so households may start on different dates. The online collection calendar is due to show the new arrangements before the service begins.
Almost all outdoor caddies have been delivered. The council says it will return to properties with reported missed deliveries before launch. Buildings with three or more flats will usually receive a shared food waste bin, with those deliveries now expected in early 2027.
Existing assisted collections will extend to the new caddies. Garden waste must not go into the food caddy, which is intended for food scraps.
How to report a missed collection
For problems with the current service, the council asks residents to wait until after 6pm on collection day before reporting a missed bin, as crews may still be working.
Reports can be made within two working days through the missed-collection service. Anyone unable to use the online form can call the waste and recycling team on 0300 123 5011, Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm.
Featured photograph: Food scraps including vegetable peelings and coffee grounds. Illustrative photograph by Tek monde, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Kitchen food waste, vegetable peelings & coffee grounds in biodegradable bag / CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized to 1200 pixels wide and compressed with TinyPNG.