Derby City Council is supporting Food Waste Action Week (9–15 March 2026) encouraging residents to cut food waste, save money and help the environment as the city prepares to roll out weekly food waste collections this spring.

Food Waste Action Week is the UK’s largest annual food waste reduction campaign, led by WRAP through Love Food Hate Waste. This year’s theme, “Make Your Food Go Fuuuuuuuurther – for your pocket, for our planet” highlights practical steps households can take to make better use of the food they buy.

Across the UK, households throw away 4.4 million tonnes of edible food each year, costing about £17.5 billion. That’s roughly £1,000 per year for an average family of four. According to WRAP, around 60% of food waste happens at home, creating significant greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing food waste is one of the simplest ways to lower household costs and protect the planet.

The campaign shares practical advice to help residents make better use of the food they buy and encourage them to plan meals, check cupboards before shopping, store food correctly and make the most of leftovers.

The campaign also comes as Derby prepares to introduce weekly food waste collections, in line with the Environment Act 2021 and the Government's Simpler Recycling reforms.

Once the service is live, food waste that cannot be eaten should be placed in the grey kitchen caddy and then transferred to the green outdoor container for weekly collection on residents’ usual bin day. The 5-litre grey kitchen caddy is designed to make collecting food waste indoors simple and convenient. Brown bins will no longer accept food waste when the new service begins.

Collected food waste will be recycled through anaerobic digestion at Severn Trent Green Power’s facility in Derby, generating renewable energy and agricultural fertiliser, however, the Council is reminding residents that prevention comes first – reducing food waste at home saves money and is even better for the environment.

Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, Cabinet Member for Streetpride, Parks and Leisure, said: 

Food Waste Action Week is a reminder that small changes at home can make a real difference. By reducing waste and using our new collections service, residents can save money and help turn food waste into renewable energy.

Residents can follow our social media channels during this week for tips and find more practical advice and full details at Reduce Your Waste pages on our website.