Where do Food scraps and leftovers go?

Kerbside food waste goes to anaerobic digestion or in-vessel composting, both of which run hot enough and sealed enough to handle meat, bones, cooked food and dairy that a garden heap cannot. That is the practical difference worth knowing: the caddy takes what the compost bin should not. Food in general waste goes to landfill, where it decomposes without oxygen and produces methane, or to incineration, where its water content works against the process. Not every authority collects food waste separately, and the ones that do differ on liners — some take compostable bags, some only newspaper, some neither.

How to prepare it

1. Line the caddy with newspaper or a certified compostable liner if your council allows one.
2. Drain liquids off; the caddy is for solids.
3. Keep packaging out — a wrapped sandwich is two waste streams.

What not to do

• Never put plastic bags in the food waste caddy; they survive the process and have to be screened out.
• Never pour liquid fat into it.

Kerbside collection rules genuinely vary by council and county, and local rules always win over general guidance. The reasoning above is what transfers — if your service differs, it will usually be for a reason described here.

Other things that go to food waste collection

• Teabags Food waste or compost — but many bags are sealed with polypropylene, and that plastic mesh stays behind.
• Cooking fat, lard and dripping Let it solidify, scrape it into the food waste or general bin. Never down the drain, at any temperature.
• Bones Food waste collection if you have one. Never a home compost heap.
• Coffee grounds Compost heap or food waste. Good material in both, in moderation.
• Eggshells Compost or food waste. Crush them first or they will still be recognisable next year.