Bexley households will see new stickers added to general rubbish bins over the next couple of months as the council tries to move more food waste into its free weekly recycling service.
The message, “food’s not rubbish so let’s recycle it”, will be placed on general waste bins by council crews across the borough. Residents do not need to apply for the sticker or arrange a separate visit.
The reminder is aimed at homes where food waste is still being put into ordinary rubbish, even though Bexley Council provides a weekly food waste collection.
What residents should do with food waste
Food waste should go into a food waste box for weekly collection, not into the general rubbish bin. Bexley residents can also order a free kitchen food waste recycling caddy and food waste box if they do not already have one.
The service accepts cooked and uncooked food, including:
- bones and leftover meat
- fish skins
- tea bags
- coffee grindings
- fruit and vegetable scraps
- plate scrapings and other food leftovers
The council says the collected food waste is used to create green power for local homes. It gives the example that recycling six teabags can generate enough energy to boil water for another cup of tea.
Sticker rollout covers general rubbish bins
The stickers will be added to general rubbish bins across the London Borough of Bexley during the rollout period. They are intended as a prompt at the point where residents are deciding what goes into each bin.
Bexley has already extended its free weekly food recycling service to flats above commercial premises, widening access for households that may previously have found recycling food waste less straightforward.
Residents following wider changes to council waste services may also find useful context in our coverage of local recycling campaigns in other areas.
Why Bexley is targeting food waste
Recent annual recycling figures from DEFRA show Bexley performing well overall, with the council saying its recycling rate has improved faster than many neighbouring London boroughs.
Food waste remains a specific problem. According to the council, around 30% of the material currently going into general rubbish bins is food waste that could instead be recycled through the free weekly service.
Processing food waste separately is also cheaper than processing general rubbish and is more energy efficient to dispose of, the council said.
Cllr Rags Sandhu, Bexley Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Culture and Leisure, thanked residents for helping improve recycling in the borough and said the annual figures showed faster progress than many London neighbours.
“This is a fantastic achievement and is good for the environment,” he said.
Source: London Borough of Bexley
Source check Source trail
This article is based on Bexley Council’s published update about the food waste sticker rollout and recycling service.
- Confirmed the sticker message and rollout period from the council notice.
- Checked the service detail that food waste is collected weekly and is free for residents.
- Included the council’s stated DEFRA context and 30% food waste figure.
- Attributed the quoted comment to Cllr Rags Sandhu.
- Source
- London Borough of Bexley
- Scope
- London Borough of Bexley
- Updated
- 2026-05-29 13:59
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