Flats above shops to receive food waste collections as part of new trial

From 27 October, a food waste recycling service is being rolled out to 111 flats above shops across Sutton in a trial that will enable residents to recycle food for the first time. Shared outdoor food waste bins will be installed beside litter bins to allow residents living in these trial flats above shops to participate in food waste recycling.

The trial will help to design a wider phased introduction of food waste recycling for over 1000 flats above shops in Sutton, which will ensure that every resident is able to recycle their food waste regardless of the property they live in.

Indoor food waste caddies have been delivered to the participating households, with residents encouraged to fill them with peelings, eggshells, tea bags and other food waste before depositing the contents into shared outdoor bins for weekly collections.

The introduction of food waste recycling builds on another trial rolled out to flats above shops in Sutton’s busiest areas which sees their recycling and waste collected overnight to keep the streets clean. 

This latest trial also follows wider changes to the recycling and waste collection service in Sutton. Since Veolia began a new contract with Sutton Council in April 2025, the efficiency of the collection service has been improved by changing collection routes. Meanwhile, a bookable collection service for small electricals, batteries and textiles has been introduced to encourage residents to recycle items that cannot go into household bins. Find out more and to book a collection.  

Councillor Christopher Woolmer, Lead Member for the Environment, said: "We are committed to making it as easy as possible for everyone to do their part for the environment. The launch of this trial marks a significant step towards ensuring all our residents can easily recycle their food waste, contributing to a more sustainable future for our borough. Extending food waste collections to more homes and reducing contamination of the different types of waste and recycling was one of the commitments we made as part of the new contract with Veolia and it’s wonderful to see it being implemented.” 

Scott Edgell, Divisional Head of Municipal Operations for Veolia Sutton, said: “Recycling food waste is one of the easiest ways for residents to make a difference to the environment by contributing to the circular economy, with the food we collect being turned into energy and compost to grow more food.

“Following the start of our new contract with Sutton Council in April 2025, we have already delivered a number of service improvements and are proud to build on that by delivering this trial. We will work closely with Sutton Council and Sutton’s residents to ensure the trial is a success before rolling it out to all properties in the borough and delivering a more sustainable future for everyone.”