Terberg Matec, delivering fresh food waste solutions

Time is tight

By 31 March 2026, local authorities will be required to offer weekly food waste collections as part of the Government’s goal to stop food waste going to landfill by 2030. This policy change is part of the Simpler Recycling reforms and will have a significant impact on council waste collection fleets. As the deadline looms, it is imperative that local authorities are prepared for these changes.

Currently, around half of English councils provide a dedicated food waste collection service. The other half will have to come on board soon (bar a few exceptions). In preparation for what is a dramatic change to the waste and recycling services on offer, councils must ensure they have the right vehicles to handle the distance of collection rounds and the volume of waste. These vehicles need to be the right size and weight and must be easily manoeuvrable around residential streets.  

What is needed?

Councils need to have a clear understanding of what their requirements are to allow them to plan accordingly. As Paul Rochester, general sales manager at Terberg Matec explains: ‘Local authorities will need to have clear collection strategies in place and have sight of expected collection volumes before deciding on what product to purchase, ahead of determining vehicle specifications.’

By engaging early with Terberg Matec UK, councils can learn more about what is available to best help them deliver collection services effectively. Luckily, Terberg Matec UK have a range of dedicated food waste collection solutions ranging from 3.5t all the way up to 26t making us the ideal partner.’

From a fleet management perspective, there is much more to think about than just the vehicles of course, ‘There are a lot of pieces to this jigsaw,’ Kevin Forbes, general sales manager at Terberg Matec comments. ‘Considerations such as operator licensing, staffing, and routine maintenance – there is a lot that needs to be in place to ensure that the rollout of weekly food waste collections goes smoothly.

Serving food waste solutions

Terberg Matec UK is well-placed to support councils during this transition, Paul explains. ‘Our low maintenance, robust and simple food waste collection solutions, coupled with our ever-growing national aftersales support network ensure that the vehicles are kept on the road, where they belong.’

The Government recently announced that the introduction of weekly collections in England will be supported with up to £295m. This injection of cash is intended to cover specialist collection vehicles, as well as new food waste containers for homes, and will be targeted at local authorities that have yet to fully put a food waste service in place. This funding boost is welcome.

it is important that local authorities and contractors working in the waste and recycling space start their food waste journey soon. As Paul says, ‘March 2026 – in terms of the cycle to procure, manufacture and deliver commercial vehicles – is not a long way away. The runway is getting shorter every week.’ But while this is true, it is also important to remember that you are not alone in this journey; help is at hand.

For more information please contact sales@terberg.co.uk