A Hampshire council has been given almost £1 million from the government as it prepares to roll out food waste collections.

Fareham Borough Council has received funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to begin its preparations to introduce ‘Simpler Recycling’ to the town.

Simpler Recycling is national legislation which aims to simplify recycling systems so that the same items can be recycled across the whole UK and increase recycling rates.

Introducing Simpler Recycling means that food waste will be collected separately in Fareham on a weekly basis.

Glass will be collected from the kerbside and a greater range of recyclables will be collected in recycling bins - including plastic pots, tubs, trays, cartons, paper and card, and metal cans.

The services must be in place by March 31, 2026, and the council has been allocated £969,223 capital funding for the purchase of new food waste collection vehicles and food waste bins – though timeframes may be impacted following the announcement of the general election.

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Executive member for streetscene at Fareham Borough Council, Cllr Ian Bastable, commented: “I welcome this funding of almost a million pounds from DEFRA, as it will allow us to put our preparations in place to begin food waste collections, without the costs falling onto Fareham residents.

“We will now begin our preparations to ensure the new service can be introduced as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

Announcing the Simply Recycling scheme earlier this month, recycling minister Robbie Moore said: “We all want to do our bit to increase recycling and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill – but a patchwork of different bin collections across England means it can be hard to know what your council will accept.

“Our plans for Simpler Recycling will end that confusion: ensuring that the same set of materials will be collected regardless of where you live.”

Defra said the plans will apply to all homes in England, including flats.

Similar measures will apply to non-household municipal premises, including businesses, hospitals, schools and universities, places of worship, penal institutes, charity shops, hostels and public meeting places.