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Residents in Tonbridge and Malling are being encouraged to recycle more of their food waste thanks to a new campaign featuring bright orange bin stickers.

The stickers are being placed on general waste bins as a gentle reminder: food waste doesn’t belong in the black bin. Instead, it should go into the council’s free food caddy, which is collected every week and turned into renewable energy for local homes.

In fact, every six teabags recycled create enough energy to boil water for another cup of tea.

A push to recycle more

Over the next few weeks, a dedicated team will be working with bin crews to make sure every household receives the message – “feed your food caddy, not the bin!”

Alongside the sticker, households will receive:

• A leaflet explaining how to recycle food waste
• Free food caddy liners to make it even easier

Why it matters

Tonbridge and Malling is already one of Kent’s top-performing boroughs for recycling. In 2024, residents recycled 25,000 tonnes of waste, including 2,755 tonnes of food waste. But there’s still progress to be made. Almost a third of what ends up in black bins (27%) is food that could be recycled.

Cllr Robin Betts, cabinet member for housing, environment and the economy, explained:

“Every stale crust, peeling, and plate scrape can help create clean energy for 3,600 nearby homes, and mulches down to produce a wonderful organic fertiliser used by Kent farmers to grow our crops – powerful reasons to recycle as much as we can.

We know many residents are already doing a brilliant job with their food recycling, but remembering to use the little caddy in the kitchen every time you cook can make a big difference. We hope this campaign helps more people adopt habits that benefit our community.”

Saving money and creating green power

The project is jointly funded by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council and Kent County Council, with the aim of both boosting recycling and cutting costs. Processing food waste is £130 per tonne cheaper than sending it as general waste, and it’s far more energy efficient.

Food waste collected goes through a process that creates clean power for homes and a natural fertiliser that supports local farming.

How to take part

The council’s weekly food waste collection accepts all cooked and uncooked foods – including bones, fish skins, tea bags, and coffee grounds. Dedicated collection vehicles from FCC handle the service, making it simple and reliable.

If your food bin is missing or damaged, you can order a free replacement online and have it delivered to your door.

To check your collection dates or learn more about food recycling, visit the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council website.

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