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Household food waste bin collections

Food waste collections currently only apply to Bournemouth and Christchurch residents.

Your food waste container is for recycling your food waste and it is emptied weekly.

You have:

  • a 7 litre kitchen caddy to keep indoors
  • a 23 litre food waste container to keep outdoors

Compostable caddy bags or newspaper can be used to line a caddy. Kitchen caddy liners are available at most supermarkets and local shops. Alternatively kitchen caddies can be lined with newspaper or nothing at all.

What you can put in your food waste container

All cooked and uncooked food, including:

  • meat, fish and bones
  • fruit and vegetable peelings
  • cheese and dairy produce
  • cakes, bread and pastries
  • leftovers, including plate scrapings
  • tea bags and coffee grounds
  • pasta, rice and egg shells

What you cannot put in your food waste container

  • carrier bags/plastic bags
  • nappies
  • food packaging
  • garden waste
  • pet waste
  • liquids
  • oil or liquid fats
  • paper cups of any kind
  • wooden sticks/skewers

Flats with shared bins

If your flat has shared bins, you have to opt-in to get your food waste bins. To do this, please email admin.sr@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.

You will need the managing agents to agree before we can supply you food waste bins. We'll then arrange a visit to assess what size shared food waste bin you might need.

If your managing agents agree, we’ll provide your block of flats, or shared house, with a household rubbish bin with a brown lid to show it’s only for food waste.

We’ll offer each flat a small 7 litre kitchen caddy.

You can empty the food waste from your kitchen caddy into the shared bin with the brown lid.

Further guidance

Please see our BCP Council household waste collection guidance document for more information.

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