During a recent Cabinet meeting, it was agreed that the collection of food waste, planned to be rolled out in Spring 2026, will be carried out on behalf of Havant Borough Council through a partnership with Portsmouth City Council.
A new collection service will be introduced next year, with the pilot scheme initially running in a specific area within the borough.
This major change to how we deal with food waste will help residents recycle more, reduce what goes to energy recovery, and turn leftovers into something genuinely useful.
Working with Portsmouth City Council, food waste will be collected weekly by a different crew, on the same days as current rubbish and recycling collections. The food waste will then be sent for anaerobic digestion.
The decision to introduce the new collections reflects the implementation set out in the government's Simpler Recycling reforms introduced under the Environment Act 2021, which aims to reduce food waste, improve recycling rates and help address climate change.
Councillor Netty Shepherd, Deputy Leader of Havant Borough Council and Cabinet Lead for Commercial (pictured), talks about how she is looking forward to the changes.
Cllr Shepherd then goes on to say, “I am delighted to announce that we will be working with our neighbouring authority, Portsmouth City Council, who will collect food waste on our behalf.
“We will be working closely with Portsmouth City Council to identify which area we will pilot the new collection service in and announce this exciting news in the new year.
“I would like to reassure our residents that the cost of setting up the food waste collection service is being fully funded by Central Government and not from their council tax. The funding will be used to purchase kitchen caddies, outdoor food bins and specialist collection vehicles.
“We have a legal requirement to reach a 65% recycling rate by 2035; that’s more than twice the amount the borough is currently achieving.”
Cllr Dave Ashmore, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services at Portsmouth City Council, said: "I'm really pleased that we will be delivering this important service to Havant borough residents, and look forward to working with Havant Borough Council to reduce food waste and increase recycling rates.
"We'll be offering this service in addition to our current well-established food waste recycling programme in Portsmouth, which will not be affected by the change."
The types of food waste that will be collected separately include:
- Fruit and vegetable peelings, cores, and skins
- Plate scrapings and food scraps, including eggshells
- Bread, rice, and pasta that can no longer be eaten
- Teabags and coffee grounds
- Cooked or raw meat and fish that can no longer be eaten, including bones
We are not encouraging residents to throw away edible food; the service is intended for unavoidable food waste only.
More information on the new collection service will be available over the coming months in the Your Borough monthly e-newsletter, information delivered to targeted areas involved in the initial rollout, on the council’s social media channels and on the council’s website.
The Borough of Havant’s current recycling rate is 30%.