What goes in each household bin

What can go in your food waste bin

Food waste bin

The food waste collection service is a weekly collection service and is currently only available in the following towns: Galashiels, Hawick, Jedburgh, Peebles, Selkirk and Tweedbank.

We provide a small brown bin to keep outside, and a silver caddy for your kitchen.

What can go in your food waste bin

The food waste service can take all cooked and uncooked food waste:

  • Dairy
  • Meat and bones
  • Fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Bread
  • Rice and pasta
  • Fish
  • Tea bags and coffee grounds
  • Egg shells

Place all food waste in your bin.  This includes leftovers, out of date food in your fridge or cupboard, or from preparing a meal.

All food should be removed from packaging.

What can't go in your food bin

  • Packaging such as plastic wrappers or bags
  • Liquids
  • Oils
  • General Waste
  • Nappies

Top tips for food waste

  • Use our biodegradable liners in your small silver kitchen caddy. When full tie the liner and place it into your larger outside brown food bin.
  • Present your brown bin with the handle up on collection day
  • To get more biodegradable liners - before you run out tie a liner to the handle of your brown bin on collection day and the collection crew will leave you a roll of liners.

Find out why getting it right is important to reduce the contamination (wrong stuff) in our bins. 

You can help us to make collections as quick, easy and safe as possible for our collection crews by following our bin presentation guidance.  

Find out why we need to recycle and what happens to your waste after collection.

Waste and recycling

Address: Council Headquarters
Newtown St. Boswells
Melrose
TD6 0SA

Telephone: 0300 100 1800