Street scene team with new food waste bin
Barnet Council is reintroducing weekly food waste collections from 30 March 2026, as part of the Council’s commitment to introducing the service in support of a new national law that will make household food waste collection mandatory by next April.
For Recycle Week, the council is launching its ‘Doing Our Bit, Barnet’ campaign and residents can take part in a food waste myth-busting prize draw, to win one of five £100 supermarket vouchers.
The initiative addresses common misconceptions about food waste and encourages people to learn what can and cannot go in their food caddy.
The draw closes 24 October 2025 and residents can visit www.barnet.gov.uk/foodwaste to enter the prize draw, where they can also find out more about recycling their food waste.
Cllr Alan Schneiderman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said:
“Many residents have been waiting for food waste collections to come back. Our ‘Doing Our Bit, Barnet’ campaign will show everyone how easy it is to recycle food waste ahead of the introduction of the weekly food waste collection next spring.
“The benefits of recycling food waste include cutting climate change emissions, saving money, and helping Barnet reach its net zero goals. This is about simple actions that together make a real difference for our borough and our planet.”
Across the UK, nearly 60% of food waste comes from households. By separating food waste, residents will be helping Barnet cut harmful greenhouse gas emissions, keep household bins cleaner and less full and save money.
The ‘Doing Our Bit, Barnet’ campaign forms part of the government’s Simpler Recycling initiative, designed to make recycling easier for residents, while supporting the borough’s journey to become net zero by 2042. Recycling food waste is a small weekly habit that can make a big difference – through an anaerobic facility, leftovers will be turned into rich fertiliser to use on local farms and electricity to power homes.
The campaign will roll out in phases, including letters to all properties in December 2025 and “get ready” communications including leaflets with caddy deliveries in the new year, in preparation for the launch on 30 March 2026.
The Council is also working with the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) - the organisation responsible for processing the waste collected by Barnet and six other north London boroughs - towards a shared goal of achieving a 50% household recycling rate.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The Barnet weekly food waste collection service launches 30 March 2026.
- Prize draw closes 24 October 2025.