Crewe residents will have to wait until early 2027 for weekly food waste collections after Cheshire East Council postponed the launch to concentrate on improving its existing bin services.
The new collection service had been expected to begin in late autumn 2026. The council says shortages of HGV drivers and loading staff, alongside vehicle breakdowns, have contributed to more missed waste and recycling collections in recent months.
A recovery and stabilisation plan is now in place. The council says introducing another service before the wider operation is reliable could put that recovery under further pressure.
Keep your food waste caddy
Residents are being asked to hold on to the outdoor caddies already delivered. The delay is a postponement rather than a cancellation, and the council plans to issue further information early in the new year.
Cllr David Jefferay, cabinet member for environment, sustainability and waste management, apologised for the standard of recent collections. He said the food waste crews, vehicles and infrastructure could have supported a November start, but restoring the reliability of existing services must come first.
Almost all caddies have been delivered. The council says the small number of homes that reported missing deliveries will receive theirs before the new service starts.
Other bin changes will also wait
Properties with three or more flats will receive a communal wheelie bin instead of individual caddies. Those communal bins are now not expected to be delivered until the new year.
The move to three-weekly black bin collections will not take place until weekly food waste collections begin. No exact revised launch date has been announced.
The delay follows our earlier report on the final caddy deliveries. Residents can read the council's food waste collection updates for the latest arrangements.