Key Points
- Barnet Council says its dedicated weekly food waste service now collects more than 100 tonnes of waste every week.
- The service was reintroduced by the Labour administration in March 2026 after being scrapped in 2018 as part of a cost-cutting programme.
- The council had previously said ending the scheme would save around £300,000 a year.
- Every home has been supplied with a brown kitchen caddy for indoor use and a small brown outside food waste bin.
- Since April 2026, the council says the service has completed more than two million collections, with only 17 complaints about fox-related spillages.
- Alan Schneiderman, Labour’s cabinet member for environment and climate change, said the Conservatives had “given up” on weekly food waste collection and said the service had been a success.
- Barnet Council says crews can clear spillages during rounds, while its street cleansing response team deals with incidents on public land reported by residents.
Barnet (North London News) August 4, 2026 — Barnet Council says its reinstated weekly food waste collection service is now handling more than 100 tonnes of waste every week. The council brought back the scheme in March 2026 after it had been withdrawn in 2018, when the authority said the move would save around £300,000 a year.
The council says the service quickly became a regular part of household waste collection across the borough. Every household has been provided with a brown kitchen caddy for indoor food scraps and a small brown outdoor food waste bin for weekly collections.
What did Barnet Council say about the service?
Alan Schneiderman, Labour’s cabinet member for environment and climate change, criticised the previous Conservative administration’s decision to end the service. He said the Conservatives had “given up” on weekly food waste collection and added that bringing it back had been a success for residents.
The council also says the service has now completed more than two million collections since its launch and that only 17 complaints relating to fox-related spillages have been recorded during that period.
How has the scheme been run?
Barnet Council says collection crews are equipped to clear up any spillages they identify during their rounds. Where food waste is spilled on public land, the council’s street cleansing response team responds after residents report the incident.
The authority says the borough-wide weekly food waste service was reintroduced on 30 March 2026 for all households and forms part of its wider waste and recycling strategy.
What happened before the service returned?
Barnet Council ended the weekly food waste collection scheme in 2018 during a cost-saving programme, stating at the time that the decision would save approximately £300,000 each year.
The authority later reversed that decision and restored the service in March 2026. Ahead of the launch, households received kitchen caddies, outdoor bins and information explaining how the new collection system would operate.
What does the council say the waste is used for?
Barnet Council says food waste collected through the service is recycled instead of being sent to general household waste. The authority says the scheme is designed to improve household recycling rates and support wider environmental objectives.
Background of the development
Barnet’s food waste collection service has undergone significant changes in recent years. After ending weekly collections in 2018, the council announced plans in 2025 to restore the service across the borough by the end of March 2026, partly in response to new national household food waste collection requirements.
The service officially returned on 30 March 2026, with households receiving kitchen caddies, compostable liners and outdoor bins. The council also promoted the rollout as part of its “Doing Our Bit, Barnet” campaign.
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What could this mean for residents?
For Barnet residents, the reinstated service provides a dedicated weekly collection for food waste, helping households separate food scraps from general rubbish and making recycling easier.
For the wider borough, the scheme could improve recycling performance and help Barnet meet future waste management requirements. Residents will still need to use the kitchen caddies and outdoor bins correctly and report any spillages so the current level of service can be maintained.
