Solihull residents are being encouraged to start using their food waste caddies ahead of the launch of new weekly collections next month.

The service, delivered by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council's (SMBC) recycling and waste collections partner Veolia, will begin on Monday 5 October as part of the Government's Simpler Recycling scheme, which aims to make recycling more consistent across England.

Households can place most food waste in their kitchen caddy, including plate scrapings, fruit and vegetable peelings, and tea bags.

Liquids cannot be recycled through the service.

Residents can line their kitchen caddy with any bag except a black bag or use it without a liner.

Once full, the contents should be emptied into the outdoor food waste caddy and locked before being placed out for collection by 6am on the usual collection day.

The introduction of weekly food waste collections means most households will see their general rubbish collections move from weekly to fortnightly from Monday 5 October.

The updated collection calendar can be viewed here.

Recycling and garden waste collections will remain unchanged.

SMBC's cabinet member for environment and infrastructure, Cllr Ken Hawkins, said: "This new weekly service will make it easier for residents to recycle food waste and cut down on the amount of food thrown away, whilst saving themselves money.

"It will also contribute to a cleaner, greener Solihull.

"Rather than burning food waste, the food collected will be sent to a local food waste facility and turned into fertiliser for local farms and renewable energy."

Susan Cummine, senior contract manager at Veolia, added: "By introducing the food waste collection service to households in Solihull, we're giving residents the opportunity to convert even more of their waste into valuable resources.

"Recycling food waste at home is one of the best ways for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint, so we're excited to start rolling the service out over the coming weeks in partnership with Solihull Council."

Residents living in flats without their own bins will receive the service in 2027, with further details due to be announced next year.

Anyone who has not received their food waste caddy can report a missed delivery through this link, while further information on the changes is available on the SMBC website.