Havering council delays launch of weekly food-waste collection to spring 2027

Havering Council confirmed that the introduction of a separate weekly food-waste collection will be postponed until spring 2027 because the required vehicles have not yet been delivered.

The shortage stems from a high level of demand across several local authorities that are also introducing the service for the first time. Manufacturers have indicated that the next batch of vehicles will only arrive in January 2027, pushing the start date back from the earlier plan.

Despite the delay, the council has already placed orders for the vehicles and is in the process of securing the caddies that will be provided to households for disposing of food waste.

Funding concerns

Council officials said the funding allocated for launching the statutory service does not cover the full cost of the programme, and it remains uncertain what additional money will be available to run the service once operational. Consequently, Havering is continuing to lobby the Government for the necessary financial support, arguing that the current provision places extra pressure on the borough’s budget.

Councillor Martynas Cekavicius, Havering’s Cabinet Member for Public Realm, criticised the legislation for not taking sufficient account of the financial impact on local authorities. He stated that the council will begin the weekly collections as soon as the appropriate vehicles are in place and that ongoing lobbying will aim to secure funding both to start and to sustain the service over time.

Expected benefits

The separate collection is intended to help the borough meet the waste-reduction targets set out in the Environment Act 2021, which requires all councils to have weekly food-waste collections by March 2026. By removing food waste from general black-bag collections, the material can be processed into fertiliser, biogas and electricity, reducing reliance on landfill and potentially lowering household waste costs in the long run.

The council pledged to keep residents updated as more information on vehicle delivery becomes available.