How to Look After Your Food Waste Caddy

So you’ve invested in a food waste caddy for your kitchen, so no more of your leftovers are going to landfill. This is great news, since the UK wastes more than 10 billion tonnes of food each year which could be recycled or composted.

But now you have your caddy, do you know how to get the best out of it? Here’s our handy guide on how to look after your food waste caddy.

Empty it out often

Empty your caddy into your food waste bin or onto your compost heap as soon as it’s full or you’ll have mould and some pretty bad smells to deal with.

Don’t put anything hot in it

If you put tea bags or coffee grounds into your caddy, make sure they’ve completely cooled down. The heat can create moisture in the caddy which attracts flies and makes germs thrive.

Always use a liner

Using a liner in your caddy avoids liquids and mush from getting stuck in the corners and rotting away. Trust us, you don’t want the smell of rotting food pervading your kitchen and home. Liners also make it easier to transfer the waste from the caddy to your bins outside.

Bag up smelly food scraps

If you have leftover scraps of meat or fish, bag them up and take them straight outside. If you put them in your indoor bin, they might attract flies and maggots, which you do not want in your home. If you notice any maggots or flies in your outdoor bin, rinse the bin thoroughly with hot water and vinegar. This is a good alternative to potentially toxic insecticides and repellents.

Make sure you keep the lid closed

Don’t stuff your caddy so full that you can’t close the lid. If flies can get in, they’ll lay eggs and before you know it, there’ll be maggots in your bin. Keeping the lid firmly closed also prevents nasty odours from escaping.

Keep your caddy in the shade

Just like your bin, if you keep your caddy in direct sunlight, the heat can speed up the decay of the contents and the associated unpleasant smells.

Keep your caddy clean

Rinse your food caddy out once each week with hot water and detergent. If you want to go the more natural route, try mixing lemon juice or tea tree oil with the water. Not only are they both natural disinfectant, they’ll leave your caddy feeling wonderfully fresh too.

Our food waste caddies

Don’t know which caddy to choose? We can help! Here are some of our top-selling food waste caddies.

Our Joseph Joseph Easy Fill Kitchen Waste Caddy - 4 Litre has a slimline design so it’s easy to store on a worktop or inside a kitchen cupboard-perfect if you’re short on space. It has a wide opening so food can be scraped from plates into the caddy quickly and easily. An adjustable air vent helps reduce moisture and odour, and it’s also a great insect barrier.

Our Joseph Joseph Kitchen Food Waste Caddy has been designed to reduce the smell from food waste. It has a unique ventilated design that allows air to enter and circulate. This reduces the moisture in the caddy, which is the main cause of odours.

The lid has a replaceable odour filter which traps any nasty odours before they can escape you’re your kitchen. The caddy has a polypropylene body, a flip top lid, and a stainless steel carry handle, and it’s perfect for storing on countertops. This model is available in either graphite or stone, and is available with optional extras including replacement odour filters and food waste liners.

Our General and Kitchen Combination Waste Bin 75 Litre has two compartments so you can easily separate your food waste and your general waste. The general waste compartment has a 75-litre capacity, and the smaller compartment can hold 5 litres of food waste. This bin both saves space and is incredibly user-friendly. The food waste compartment has a lift out caddy for easy emptying, and the close-fitting lid traps any unwanted odours.

Want to know more about or food waste caddies or any of our other recycling bins?

Whether you’re a home owner looking for recycling solutions or a business that needs to recycle more, we’d love to help.

You’re sure to find the perfect recycling bin for you in our range, which is one of the biggest and best value that you’ll find online.

Contact our expert sales team on 01684 292727 or at info@recyclingbins.co.uk