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Weekly food waste collections exist partly because food scraps smell if they sit for long. GOV.UK says councils in England must collect food waste weekly from all households, which it describes as letting people dispose of odorous waste frequently. In between collections, the caddy is yours to look after. This article collects the advice that councils give, including the one point on which they disagree.
Why caddies smell and attract flies
Scraps start to break down as soon as they are put in the caddy, and heat speeds that up. North Warwickshire says maggots can appear in food waste caddies during warmer weather when flies lay eggs on exposed food. Warwickshire's advice is built on the same idea: keep food covered and bag and bin waste straight away, so flies have less chance to get to it.
Warm spells and heated kitchens mean this is not only a summer job.
In the kitchen
The indoor caddy is where most problems begin, because it sits somewhere warm and is opened many times a day.
- Keep the lid shut. Warwickshire and St Helens both advise keeping caddy lids closed when not in use. St Helens says this keeps insects out and odours in.
- Let hot items cool first. St Helens asks residents to let tea bags, coffee grounds and other hot items cool before they go in. Cannock Chase says food should not be hot when it goes in.
- Line the base with newspaper or cardboard. Havant suggests this to absorb excess liquid, which is what makes a caddy smell.
- Sprinkle some bicarbonate of soda in the bottom. Havant says a quick sprinkle neutralises acidic odours before they attract pests.
- Wrap meat, fish and bones. Warwickshire suggests double bagging them or wrapping in newspaper, and St Helens advises putting them in a sealed liner and moving them to the outdoor caddy straight away.
- Freeze the worst of it. Havant suggests putting wet or smelly scraps in a container in the freezer, and only moving them to the caddy on collection day.
- Keep fruit under control. Havant advises washing fruit as soon as it comes home, because tiny eggs can stick to the skin, and keeping items such as bananas and melons in the fridge during the hottest months.
- Keep the caddy out of direct sun. St Helens notes that heat speeds up smells and decomposition.
What to buy
None of this needs special equipment, and a council's own caddy is the best place to start. A few things make the habits easier.
- A small lidded caddy that is easy to empty. If your council has not supplied one, Ad a kitchen food waste caddy with a lid is the usual search. A small one gets emptied sooner.
- Bicarbonate of soda. Ad A tub of bicarbonate of soda is cheap and keeps in a cupboard.
- Containers for the freezer. Ad Freezer-safe food containers with lids hold wet scraps until collection day. Keep them for scraps only, and label them so they are not mistaken for food.
- Liners, if your council allows them. Councils differ on this. Hull asks for the liners it supplies. Cannock Chase uses plastic ones. North Warwickshire accepts compostable, plastic or paper bags, newspaper or no liner. Check first, then Ad compostable caddy liners are the search if yours permits them.
The outdoor caddy and the kerbside
The outdoor caddy lives in heat, rain and sun, and it is the one the crews handle.
- Keep the lid fully closed and locked. North Warwickshire says its outdoor caddy has a lockable, sealable lid to stop smells escaping and pests getting in, and asks residents to keep it closed.
- Tie liners tightly. North Warwickshire asks for this before the liner goes into the outdoor caddy.
- Put it out every week, even if it is not full. North Warwickshire asks for this, and Cannock Chase advises changing the liner at least weekly.
- Rinse after it has been emptied. North Warwickshire suggests a quick rinse of the outdoor caddy. St Helens suggests rinsing regularly with boiling water and salt.
- Check it now and then. St Helens suggests looking for maggots from time to time.
A brush makes the rinse easier. Ad A long-handled bin cleaning brush reaches the corners and avoids putting a hand into the caddy, and it is best kept for bins only.
When maggots appear
Councils do not agree on what happens next, so check your own.
- North Warwickshire says that if there are maggots in the outdoor caddy, residents should keep presenting it on the normal collection day, and it will still be collected.
- St Helens says its crews will not take a kerbside caddy if maggots are present, and may not take one with loose food in it. Its page suggests boiling water and vinegar, or bleach, to deal with them.
The difference matters. Where a caddy can be refused, it needs clearing before collection day, and the next collection may be a week away. Your council's food waste page, or a call to its waste team, will say which applies. If a bin is skipped, the council's missed collection process is covered in the FAQ.
A routine that takes two minutes
Most of the advice above comes down to a short routine.
- Each day. Wrap or bag the smelly items, close the lid, and empty the indoor caddy into the outdoor one before it gets full.
- Each week. Put the outdoor caddy out, even if it is not full. Rinse the indoor caddy once the liner is out, and let it dry before putting in a new one.
- In warm weather. Keep wet or smelly scraps in the freezer until collection day, keep the caddy out of direct sun, and check the kerbside caddy now and then.
Councils set their own rules on liners and on maggots, so where this article and your council differ, follow the council.
Other things worth knowing
The same ideas apply to the wheelie bin. Warwickshire advises keeping the bin and food caddy lid closed when not in use, rinsing bins out regularly, and bagging everything before it goes in. The contamination article explains which items cause problems at the sorting stage, and the guide lists what goes in each bin.