Residents have recycled more than 34 tonnes of food waste in the first month of Malvern Hills District Council’s (MHDC) new Household Food Waste Collection Service.
MHDC began rolling out the new weekly service across the district on 5 October, as a requirement by UK Government.
Now a month into the rollout, the council is thanking households for getting involved.
More than half of the 6,000 households within the pilot area took part each week, with over 34 tonnes collected in total- the equivalent to the weight of around 18 cars.
Collections averaged more than 1.7 tonnes of food waste each day, this includes waste that cannot be composted at home, including bones, banana skins, and teabags.
To help them get started, residents have been given a 7-litre kitchen caddy, a 23-litre food waste bin for use outside, a roll of caddy liners and an information leaflet.
Households are being contacted when the service is coming to their area.
Whilst the council is pleased at the response to the service, it would like to encourage residents to be aware of the food they are throwing away.
To do this, MHDC has teamed up with award-winning meal planning platform FiveDinners.com to help residents plan meals more easily, manage household costs, and reduce food waste.
As part of this initiative, residents can access a free one-year premium membership (usually £86), offering personalised weekly meal plans, tailored to individual needs, along with shopping lists and step‑by‑step recipes.
Cllr Jeremy Owenson, Portfolio Holder for Environment at Malvern Hills District Council, said: “As the first council in Worcestershire to introduce the Household Food Waste Collection Service, we have worked hard to set an example for the rest of the county. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to use the service. The food waste we collect is turned into renewable energy and fertiliser, helping to reduce waste and make the most of valuable resources."
For more information about the Household Food Waste Collection Service and the Five Dinners platform, please visit www.malvernhills.gov.uk/foodwaste
Date published: 5 November 2026
