Home / Environment / Lancashire Councils Miss Food Waste Deadline
Lancashire Councils Miss Food Waste Deadline
28 Jan
Summary
- Two Lancashire councils will miss the March 31 deadline for food waste collection.
- Delays are attributed to difficulties in obtaining necessary new vehicles.
- Lancaster City Council will start collections next month, ahead of others.
Several Lancashire councils are facing delays in implementing mandatory food waste collections, failing to meet the national March 31 deadline. Ribble Valley Borough Council and Fylde Council have announced they will postpone the service until autumn due to procurement issues with essential new vehicles. This delay is attributed to widespread difficulties in obtaining the necessary fleet for separate food waste pick-ups.
Lancaster City Council is an exception, scheduled to commence its food waste collections next month, making it the first local authority in Lancashire to do so. Blackburn with Darwen Council has an extended deadline, commencing its service on June 1, though it has been piloting collections since April 2025. Other authorities, including Chorley and South Ribble, have yet to confirm their compliance with the deadline.
The government's mandate, announced two years prior, requires all local authorities to establish weekly food waste collections by March 31, 2026, unless existing contracts prevent it. Some councils have been granted transitional arrangements due to these challenges. A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson emphasized that while flexibility is allowed, councils are expected to meet their statutory obligations.
