Devon’s City Councils Commit to Food Waste Recycling by April 2026
25/09/2025
City councils across Devon have pledged to roll out food waste recycling for all residents by April 2026, in line with new government legislation. While areas like East Devon have offered the service since 2012, Exeter and Plymouth are now catching up.
Currently, 58% of Exeter residents have access to food waste recycling. Exeter City Council, which announced an £8 million infrastructure investment in March 2024, is delivering the service in-house to save costs and ensure quality. Labour councillor Ruth Williams confirmed the city is on track to meet the deadline, with new collection trucks already ordered.
Plymouth City Council is investing nearly £2 million from a government grant to provide caddies and communal bins to over 150,000 households. The food waste will be processed via anaerobic digestion, producing renewable energy and fertiliser.
This move aims to end the “postcode lottery” of recycling services and standardise waste collection across England.
How is this helping Devon reach net-zero?
‘Goal’ EC: The Management of Biodegradable Waste Minimises Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- ‘Action’ R15: Encourage commercial and household waste collections to consider collecting food waste separately
- ‘Action’ R16: Help find opportunities for unavoidable wastes within the food supply chain to be used as a resource by others
‘Goal’ EB: Most Materials are Recycled
- ‘Action’ R6: Align Devon’s household waste collection services as far as viable
‘Goal’ EA: A Culture of ‘Enoughness’ is Created
- ‘Action’ R2: Support communities to establish waste and resources projects
