Herefordshire is getting £1.85 million from the government to help it get ready for new weekly food waste collections expected later this year.

The sum breaks down as: £186,276 for new kitchen caddies, £405,609 for larger kerbside caddies, £27,647 for wheeled food waste bins for commercial users, and £1,227,600 for new vehicles to collect them.

A comprehensive rejig of residential and commercial waste collection in the county is due to be phased in from September.

Local authorities in England are obliged to bring in weekly food waste collections for businesses from March 2025 and for homes from March 2026.

A date requiring councils to move to fortnightly collections for “residual” or non-reuseable waste has yet to be set.

A report for a council cabinet meeting next Friday (January 25) points out that the introduction of the new-look service “will be subject to a future decision report supported by a detail business case”.

Meanwhile the meeting is expected to back an extension up to the end of August of the council’s current waste collection contract with FCC, which currently run out at the start of June.

There will be no immediate changes to residents’ or businesses’ collections for now, the council said.

But from September a new eight-year contract will be brought in, which cabinet member for environment Coun Elissa Swinglehurst said “will help us to minimise waste and increase reuse, repair and recycling”.

The cabinet is also expected to back spending of up to £5.8 million on “depot improvements, service enhancement and new receptacles”, and to order the new bin lorries, ahead of the new contract.

“Environmental impact has been key to the development of the service specification, which will include extensive requirements to minimise waste, reduce energy and carbon emissions and enhance biodiversity,” Coun Swinglehurst said.