Almost a quarter of local authorities in England are set to miss next month’s official deadline to introduce weekly food waste collections for every household, an investigation has revealed.
The requirement was set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of efforts to standardise waste services and reduce landfill.
Of 71 councils that told the BBC they would not meet the deadline, 56 said they expect to launch collections by the end of the year.
Several authorities cited difficulties securing specialist collection vehicles, pointing to increased demand linked to the national rollout timetable.
Funding has also been raised as a concern, despite £340m in grants allocated by Defra to support implementation.
The Local Government Association said it is important councils retain flexibility in how services are delivered, alongside receiving sufficient funding and support to meet requirements.
