Let’s Talk Scraps: Overton’s New Food Waste Collection Starts 6 October!

From Monday 6 October 2025, Overton households will join the new weekly food waste collection from Hampshire County Council. Just pop your food caddy out with your bins before 6am on Tuesday mornings, and your scraps will be collected, recycled, and turned into something useful.

This is a big step forward for our village, and our borough — reducing waste, saving money, and protecting the planet.

 Why It Matters

• Money saving – The average family throws away around £70 of food every month. Cutting waste means more money in your pocket, and separating your waste makes it easier to see what goes in.

• Climate friendly – A third of our black bins are filled with food. Globally, food waste is linked to 8–10% of greenhouse gas emissions.

• Renewable energy – Collected food waste goes to Re-Gas Energy Ltd in Herriard, where it’s turned into biogas for heat and electricity. Leftovers become certified bio-fertiliser for local farms.

• Community impact – If every household in Overton cut food waste by half, we’d save over £800,000 a year between us and cut the village’s carbon footprint by 4–5%.

  
  

What You Should Have Received

• Grey indoor caddy (for your kitchen scraps)

• Roll of 52 compostable liners

• Information leaflet

• Green outdoor caddy (label with your house name/number)

👉 If you use communal bins, a shared food waste bin will be delivered separately.

What Goes in the Caddy?

Yes please:

• Fruit & veg peelings, cores, stones

• Meat, bones, fish (raw & cooked)

• Dairy products, cheese, eggshells

• Bread, cakes, pastries

• Rice, pasta, beans

• Tea bags, coffee grounds

• Pet food (wet & dry)

No thanks:

• Liquids (milk, oils, gravy)

• Food packaging

• Nappies or pet waste

• Garden waste or flowers

• Non-food items

  

How to Use Your Caddy

1. Line your indoor caddy with a compostable liner.

2. Fill with food waste.

3. Tie the liner securely and place it in your outdoor caddy.

4. Put it out before 6am on Tuesday mornings with your other bins.

   
   

Tips:

• Short on space? Keep your caddy under the sink, on a hook, or in a corner.

• Once your liners run out, you can buy more from supermarkets — or use a bread bag or similar plastic bag.

 How to Waste Less Food (and Save More Money)

• Plan your meals – Write a weekly menu and shopping list.

• Check your fridge – Did you know 71% of fridges are too warm? Keep yours at 3–5°C to make food last longer. (We have fridge thermometers you can borrow!)

• Use your freezer – Freeze bread, milk, bananas, and leftovers.

• Measure portions – Especially rice and pasta — it avoids waste and saves money. We have measures to give you.

• Get creative – Leftover veg = soup, curry, or stir-fry. Leftover turkey = curry or pie.

Most wasted foods (and fixes):

• Citrus fruit → store in fridge

• Bananas → freeze for baking/smoothies

• Salad & veg → plan meals around what needs using up

• Bread → freeze excess (not fridge – it stales faster)

• Milk → buy smaller bottles or freeze

• Potatoes → parboil & freeze extras

🎉 Party Food Tips

• Serve food in bowls so people can take what they want (and seconds!).

• Store leftover salad without dressing.

• Freeze cooked rice, veg, or meat portions quickly for another day.

• Make soups, curries, or stir-fries with what’s left.

  
  

Ready to Make a Difference?

Using your food caddy is:✔️ Easy✔️ Money-saving✔️ Climate-friendly

Let’s work together to make Overton a greener, cleaner, more sustainable place — one peel at a time.