Kensington and Chelsea (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Kensington and Chelsea Council plans weekly kerbside food waste collections for over 50,000 households by 2026, but one ward remains excluded.
In order to fulfill the government-imposed deadline, Kensington and Chelsea Council plans to double its fleet of waste collection vans from three to six by 2026 and provide caddies and liners to all eligible houses.
By March 31, 2026, the government mandates that councils provide a food waste collection service to all residents. According to a council study, the service will be provided to all 50,854 eligible households by March 2026. Less than half, or 24,961 families, do so as of August 2025.
Kensington and Chelsea are home to 66,885 households, according to data from the 2021 Census. Increased service will be the biggest benefit to Earl’s Court. There are presently no food waste collections for its 4,633 eligible households. However, unlike in other boroughs, it will not be implemented immediately.
The council claims that the rollout has been tapered out and that, in terms of rubbish collection, Earl’s Court is one of the borough’s most complicated wards. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is aware that Earl’s Court will soon be able to access food waste and that the council wishes to “bed in” the service before introducing it to the more difficult places.
Currently, the borough collects residential properties from the curb twice a week. Recycling and ordinary garbage are both gathered.
Terry Oliver, director for cleaner, greener and leisure services, said the reason Earls Court fared badly was “all about capacity and the crews”. He told the council’s environment select committee Monday night (September 15):
“The government basically legislated that from April 1, 2026, food waste has to be offered to residents, and that’s the timeframe we’re working to.
The vehicles are in order. There’s a bit of lead in time for that. We want to offer that by April 1 (2026) to every resident in Earls Court.”
According to him, the largest limitation in the borough is space, as many homes do not have enough space to keep a food waste bin. Usually, these are apartments over stores and homes with front doors that open directly to the street.
There will also be a significant increase in collections in Redcliffe ward, where 705 households out of 4,515 eligible households now receive the service, and Courtfield ward, where 490 out of 3,968 eligible households do.
All eligible houses presently receive a weekly kerbside collection, therefore there won’t be any changes to the wards of Golborne, Colville, Pembridge, Holland, Brompton and Hans Town, and Royal Hospital.
The council will trial different solutions to collect rubbish from these hard-to-reach households but is first focusing on delivering the service for those who already have space. The Government is funding the rollout of this scheme.
The LDRS understands the council currently owns three waste collection vehicles and hires one more. It will purchase two more later this year and receiving a sixth vehicle in 2026. It will also cease hiring a waste collection vehicle.
According to a council report, the roll-out on estates is said to be slower and requires coordinating with landlords and site managers to agree on a location for communal bins. There are 48 estates which currently have communal food waste bins, covering 4,216 households.
During a meeting on Monday night (September 15), the lead member for environment and planning said:
“I think we can be proud we have a really strong level of service in the borough, but I’m by no means complacent. There are still too many places residents and councillors say there is waste being left out and feel there is an issue and not enough enforcement.”
The council is expanding weekly food waste collections in line with the government’s Simpler Recycling policy, which aims to simplify waste collection across England.
How will the council expand collections to that ward?
For wards where there is insufficient space for distinct kerbside bins, the Council is going to trial on-street communal food waste bins situated in the most accessible places for residents, such as near mini recycling centers or public transport interchanges.
The intention of this is to address the logistical challenges presented by narrow streets, dense housing, and limited outdoor bin storage.
Residents without outdoor space may be asked to share communal bins with neighbors or have access to public bins, with the Council monitoring cleaning diligently to address concerns such as odors or vermin.
The Council is also investigating how to improve communication and engagement strategies to educate residents on the best ways to engage with the communal food waste services.