Food waste bins are being delivered to residents across the borough from today (Monday).

Ahead of the weekly food waste collections launching in Cheshire East this autumn, residents will soon receive a package containing everything they need to prepare for the new recycling service.

Starting from today (6 July), thousands of outdoor food waste caddies will be delivered in phases over several weeks - residents do not need to be at home to receive them.

Middlewich residents are the first to receive their caddies while Sandbach, Haslington and Hassall Green will receive theirs during phase three and Holmes Chapel during stage four.

Councillor David Jefferay, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for environment, sustainability and waste management, said: "New weekly food waste collections are a huge step forward for recycling in Cheshire East and means more of the waste that's collected can be transformed into something new – in this case, compost.

"Delivering a new recycling service takes a large amount of planning and work, and so it's great news to now be at the point where our residents are about to receive all they need to prepare for food waste collections starting.

"With around 182,000 outdoor food waste caddies and bins to be delivered, it will take some time for everyone to receive theirs. That's why we're asking residents not to start using their caddy/wheelie bin as soon as they receive it or put it out for collection.

"The council's website will be updated with residents' exact collection start dates by mid-September. Residents will then also be able to check if there is any change to their collection day, as collection routes and schedules are being updated to incorporate the new food waste service."

Food waste caddy delivery phases

• Phase 1: Crewe and Middlewich
• Phase 2: Bridgemere, Hatherton, Henhull, Hough, Nantwich, Shavington, Stapeley, Weston, Willaston, Wistaston and Wybunbury
• Phase 3: Audlem, Barbridge, Bunbury, Calveley, Cholmondley, Haslington, Hassall Green, Minshull, Rode Heath, Sandbach and Wrenbury
• Phase 4: Alsager, Congleton (part), Holmes Chapel, Mow Cop, Scholar Green, Siddington
• Phase 5: Congleton and Macclesfield
• Phase 6: Alderley Edge, Bollington, Bosley, Disley, Handforth, High Legh, Kettleshulme, Knutsford, Mere, Mobberley, Mottram St Andrews, Peover/Marthall, Poynton, Prestbury, Rainow, Tytherington, Wildboarclough and Wilmslow

All food waste caddies are expected to be delivered by mid-September and will be distributed by an external company on behalf of the council.

Each caddy will contain information about how to use the service, plus a sticker for the caddy lid, which has space for residents to add their house number.

Residents living in flats or shared accommodation will be given either an individual caddy or be provided with a new communal 140-litre food waste wheelie bin.

Generally, properties where there are three or more flats will be given a communal bin.

Residents should not start using their caddy/wheelie bin straight away and should check when their start date is – and whether there is any change to their collection day – on the council's website at cheshireeast.gov.uk/mycollectionday.

Details of the new collection schedules will be available by mid-September.

Once weekly food waste collections start – which are a requirement of Government's Simpler Recycling legislation - black bin (general waste) collections will move to three-weekly.

Silver bin (recycling) collections, and garden waste for those who subscribe to the garden waste recycling scheme, will continue as normal.

Councillor Jefferay added: "We know that residents may have questions about how the service will work and the council's website has today been updated with lots of useful information and advice, including about what can and can't be put in the caddies, and how to keep the caddy locked and secure.

"Over the coming weeks, we'll also continue with our 'Be the BIG Difference' campaign – supporting residents to recycle right, reduce waste and prepare for their new weekly food waste collections."

Residents who still have smaller kitchen caddies from the rollout of a previous service can use these to collect their food waste before transferring it to their outdoor caddy for collection.

Cheshire East has stated that kitchen caddies should not be put out for collection and won't be emptied by the collection crews.

As part of the rollout of the new service, a limited supply of the smaller kitchen caddies are available to be picked up for free at Cheshire East libraries and household waste recycling centres.

There is no need to call ahead but a booking is needed for visiting household waste recycling centres at weekends and Bank Holidays.