New collection service autumn 2026
Changes to your waste and recycling collections
Since April 2026, all councils in England are legally required to provide weekly food waste collections. This forms part of the government's Simpler Recycling reforms, which aim to create a more consistent and easier to understand waste and recycling system nationwide.
What's new?
In Crawley, weekly food waste collections will begin in autumn 2026 for all individual household properties across the borough. Food waste collection for flats will roll out in 2027.
The food waste that is collected will be recycled using anaerobic digestion, a process that turns food waste into bio fertiliser for agriculture and renewable energy for the national electricity grid.
What's changing?
At the same time, the general waste black top bin collection will change from weekly to fortnightly. This change is designed to encourage greater use of the weekly food waste service.
What's staying the same?
The fortnightly dry mixed recycling service for your red top bin remains unchanged and will operate on the alternate week to the general waste black top bin collection. To help manage your waste effectively, please remember: clean, dry and loose is key to good recycling. Making full use of this, and other recycling services will also help reduce pressure on your general waste black top bin.
The garden waste collection, which is available by subscription, also continues as normal.
Properties with communal waste collection facilities will remain on the current weekly rubbish service without food waste collections. The new food waste service will be rolled out to these properties in 2027.
As well as the legal requirement, data shows that around 44% of general waste in Crawley is food waste, and around 18% is recyclable material. Separating food waste collected from across the whole of West Sussex allows it to be recycled via anaerobic digestion into biofertiliser and energy.
The biofertiliser will be used as a fertiliser for farmers' fields, and the energy will power the plant, with any excess exported to the National Grid to be used in homes.
We encourage everyone to reduce their general waste as much as possible by sticking to the bin you currently have. However, if you meet certain criteria and already make full use of the fortnightly recycling and the new food waste collection service, then in special circumstances (for example larger households) you can apply for a larger bin. Please see our Changing your bin page for more information and to apply.
Stay up to date with the latest information about the new collection service on this webpage.
For more information about food waste collection, please visit our Food waste page.
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