Food waste collections for Kettering and Wellingborough to be discussed next week

North Northants Council’s executive will discuss plans to introduce food waste collections to the Kettering and Wellingborough areas next week.

A food waste collection service currently operates across the former Corby and East Northants areas, with a requirement from central government that all local authorities collect household food waste on a weekly basis from April 1, 2026.

Councillors will discuss the first phase of the project to roll out collections to all areas of North Northants and a report asks for approval to accept a grant from Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) of £2,495,563 to be used for purchasing food waste containers and collection vehicles.

Further funding is expected from DEFRA to help facilitate the introduction of an area wide service.

If the report is approved, NNC will start work to mobilise the new, free service, ensuring it is ready to go live in line with the target of April 2026.

As part of the introduction of the new service, residents will be provided with a separate bin and there will be a promotional campaign to inform residents on how to use the service.

Collecting food waste for separate disposal brings environmental benefits as the waste can be processed through a composting process, which produces agricultural fertiliser, as well as energy that can be fed into the national electricity grid.

It is a more cost-effective way to dispose of waste so the council can look to spend budgets on other services for residents.

Cllr Matt Binley, the council’s executive member for highways, travel and assets, said: “Under new legislation, the government has asked that local authorities across the country collect food waste separately from 1 April 2026.

“We know from listening to residents in the Kettering and Wellingborough area that the introduction of food waste collection services would be well received and, providing this report is approved, we can then start work on rolling out collections to all households in North Northants to ensure we are up and running ready for April 2026.”

Cllr Harriet Pentland, the council’s executive member for climate and the green environment, said: “Collecting food waste separately has many environmental benefits, including the production of agricultural fertiliser.

"But also, where operationally practicable, the majority of any new fleet procured by NNC will be electric, further minimising the impact on the climate.”

Council leader Jason Smithers said: “The introduction of mandatory food waste collections provides us with a real opportunity to standardise the service across North Northants, whilst promoting the service and how residents can minimise their food waste.

“April 2026 is a while away, but there is a lot of work to be done by our teams to ensure that the service is fit for purpose.”

It is expected that the new service in the areas of Kettering and Wellingborough will reflect the service currently operating in East Northants and Corby and will be free to residents.

North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive will meet on Thursday, March 14 at 10am in Corby Cube.

All papers are available online and the meeting will be live-streamed on YouTube.