The new service will be rolled out in phases, with food waste caddies being delivered to houses across the borough during the autumn ahead of the first collections beginning in November 2026.
The move marks a major step forward in improving recycling services in Dartford. The new service will give residents a simple way to recycle everyday food waste, from fruit and vegetable peelings to leftovers and plate scrapings, helping to reduce the amount of rubbish placed in general waste bins.
Around 30 per cent of the average household bin is made up of food waste. By collecting this material separately, it can be recycled through a specialist process called anaerobic digestion, where it is converted into renewable energy and fertiliser rather than being disposed of with general waste.
The Council expects the service to divert at least 5,000 tonnes of food waste from the general waste service every year, delivering significant environmental benefits while also helping to reduce disposal costs.
Leader of Dartford Borough Council, Jeremy Kite, said: "This is one of the most significant improvements to our recycling service in many years and I am delighted that residents will soon be able to recycle their food waste separately.
"Food waste makes up a surprisingly large proportion of what we throw away. By collecting it separately, we can turn it into something useful rather than simply treating it as rubbish.
"The new service will make recycling easier for residents while helping to reduce disposal costs and improve our environmental performance. It is a win for residents, a win for taxpayers, and a win for
the environment."
Residents taking part in the scheme will receive a small kitchen caddy for collecting food waste indoors, and a larger outdoor caddy to leave outside on collection day. A wide range of food waste can be recycled, including fruit and vegetable peelings, meat, fish, bones, dairy products, bread, rice, pasta and plate scrapings.
Food waste collected through the scheme will be taken to an anaerobic digestion facility where naturally occurring bacteria break it down to produce biogas. This is used to generate renewable energy for homes and businesses, while the remaining material is processed into fertiliser for agricultural use.
Cabinet Member for Environment & Waste, Cllr Steve Brown said: "it’s surprising how much food waste ends up in our bins. This new service gives residents a simple way to recycle more, cut waste and help generate renewable energy at the same time.
"It's exactly the sort of improvement we want to make, delivering a better service for residents while reducing costs and helping us meet our environmental ambitions. I'm looking forward to seeing food waste collections become part of everyday recycling habits across the borough."
Separately collecting food waste is also significantly cheaper than disposing of it with general waste.
Kent County Council estimates that recycling food waste through anaerobic digestion saves around £130 per tonne compared with incineration, meaning the new service could deliver annual savings of around £650,000 based on anticipated collection volumes.
Food waste collections will be introduced in two phases. Houses across the borough will receive caddies from autumn, with collections starting in November 2026. Collections for flats and other eligible properties are planned for early 2027.
Further information about the new service, including delivery schedules and guidance on what can and cannot be recycled in food waste caddies, will be shared with residents in the coming months.
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