Weekly food waste collections binned off in Shropshire due to lack of government funding

Weekly food waste collections set to be introduced by Shropshire Council today (April 1) will not take place due to insufficient long-term Government funding to deliver the service.

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New rules requiring weekly food waste collections for all homes in England have come into force today, but Shropshire will be one of a number of councils unable to provide the service.

Shropshire Council said that while the Government has provided funding to cover the purchase of vehicles and food waste bins, along with some short-term transitional funding for delivery, communications and project management, totalling just over £3.6 million, its most recent financial settlement did not include adequate ongoing revenue funding to run a weekly food waste collection service.

As a result, introducing the service from April this year would place a “significant financial risk” on the council at a time when it is already facing unprecedented pressure on existing essential services.

A report will be presented to Shropshire Council’s cabinet on April 15, setting out the current position and recommending the next steps required to introduce a food waste collection service at a later date.

It comes after the council warned in January that meeting its obligation to provide the service was “not achievable”.

Shropshire Council is not alone in facing these challenges. According to recent news reports, at least 57 councils across England confirmed they would also miss the April 1 deadline for introducing weekly food waste collections.

Many of these councils are now aiming to launch services later in 2026, while others have been granted transitional arrangements to delay implementation due to existing contracts or affordability issues. When these councils are included, more than a third of English councils will not yet be collecting food waste from all households.

Councillor David Vasmer, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for waste management, said: “We fully recognise the statutory duty to introduce weekly food waste collections from April 1, but the reality is that this is not achievable for Shropshire at this time.

“Continued uncertainty around funding, combined with increased lead-in times for vehicles and bins due to high national demand, means we cannot deliver this service from 1 April 2026.

“The Government has provided funding to buy equipment, but not the ongoing revenue needed to run the service. Introducing it without that certainty would expose the council to unacceptable financial risk at a time when we are making significant savings and cutting all non-essential services.

“We know that many councils will be introducing weekly food waste collections from April, but many others – particularly large, rural authorities like Shropshire – are facing very similar challenges. Delivering services across a rural and sparsely populated county is significantly more expensive than in smaller or urban areas.

“We are continuing to work through the options, including further modelling, and will be writing to Defra to set out the particular challenges rural councils like ours face. While we don’t yet have the budget in place, we remain committed to working towards a solution.

“Like many Shropshire residents, I am very keen to see a food waste collection service introduced, and we will now consider alternative options to help us achieve this in a way that is financially sustainable.”