Two Hampshire councils will miss the government’s deadline to introduce weekly food waste collections, a BBC investigation has found.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has said that “every household in England” should receive a weekly food waste collection from 31 March under new laws.
But Gosport Borough Council and East Hampshire District Council have confirmed they will not be ready in time.
East Hampshire District Council said its new service is now due to start in October.
A spokesperson said the delay was down to several factors, including waiting for government funding, ordering specialist vehicles and finding extra depot space.
The spokesperson said: “It has been delayed by several factors, waiting for money to be provided by central government to support the launch; a robust vehicle procurement process to ensure value for money for our residents; the need to secure additional depot space for the seven new vehicles.
“Additionally, the several months it takes to put together a fleet of specialist vehicles and the fact that every other council that doesn’t provide the service has been working to the same deadline.”
In Gosport, the council also blamed pressure on the vehicle supply chain. It said high demand has led to longer production times, making the delay “unavoidable”.
However, Cllr Julie Westerby, who chairs the community and environment board, said the weekly collection is expected to start in October 2026.
Cllr Westerby said: “We recognise that this is six months beyond the original central government deadline, but supply and demand pressures on food waste vehicle manufacturing, resulting in extended production times, mean the delay is unavoidable.
“Our revised implementation schedule has been notified to central government.”
She said four food waste lorries had been secured, along with 32,000 kerbside bins and 38,000 kitchen caddies. These will be delivered to residents in September, with guidance on how to use them before collections begin.
The BBC investigation also appeared to show New Forest District Council falling behind, this is because the administration has been introduced the new system in phases.
The rollout began in June 2025, with the final areas in the east and north-east of the district due to start in May 2026.
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