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Beginning October 13, 2023, the Test Valley Borough Council will implement a weekly food waste collection service across all households. This initiative aims to bolster recycling practices within the area and comply with the Environment Act's stipulations, which mandate that all councils establish food waste collection systems by April 2026.

In advance of the service launch, a specialist distribution company will deliver caddy packs to residents starting August 26, 2023. The distribution process is anticipated to take approximately seven weeks.

Each household will receive a five-litre kitchen caddy for collecting food scraps, a larger 23-litre kerbside caddy, and detailed information about the new collection service. Residents in shared accommodations will receive 140-litre grey-lidded wheeled bins instead.

As part of the service rollout, residents will also receive a postcard confirming their designated food waste collection day in September. Collected food waste will be processed at a local anaerobic digestion facility, where it will be broken down by microorganisms in an oxygen-free environment. This process will generate methane-rich biogas for fuel and produce nutrient-rich fertilizer from the remaining byproducts.

Acceptable items for the food waste caddies include a variety of organic materials, such as uneaten food, meat and fish (including bones), dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and even tea bags and coffee grounds. A comprehensive list of accepted items will be made available on the council's website.

To facilitate the process, each caddy pack will include 26 compostable liners, designed to last approximately ten weeks. Residents can purchase additional liners or use newspaper as alternatives once the starter pack is exhausted.

This initiative underscores Test Valley's commitment to sustainable waste management and environmental responsibility.