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Commercial food waste collection
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Commercial Food Waste
Starting April 2025, any business in England producing over 5kg of food waste each week must arrange a dedicated commercial food waste collection service.
💡Businesses in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland that produce this amount of food waste are already required to arrange separate collections.
This guide provides all the information you need about commercial food waste collection services. Here’s what we cover:
Benefits of commercial food waste collections
In April 2025, most businesses that generate large amounts of food waste must arrange commercial food waste collections.
Segregating and storing food waste separately might seem inconvenient, but there are three key reasons to consider using a commercial food waste collection service today:
Waste cost savings
Managing commercial food waste through a dedicated food waste collection disposal service is significantly cheaper than general business waste collection. A food waste collection service can help lower overall commercial waste collection costs.
Carbon footprint reduction
Food waste disposed of in general waste ends up in a landfill where it decomposes in such a way that it produces methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. Methane is estimated to have 25x the warming power of carbon dioxide when present in the atmosphere
Renewable energy generation
There are over 100 operational anaerobic digestion plants in the UK that utilise food waste as fuel to produce green biogas. This biogas will be a necessary substitute for natural gas (a fossil fuel) in the UK’s transition to a carbon-neutral economy.
The commercial food waste collection process
Local waste companies across the UK provide commercial food waste collection services that are available in all towns and cities.
We help businesses find the cheapest food waste collection options in their area. To get a quote, fill in the details at the top of this page.
Here’s a simple breakdown of how the service works:
Food waste storage
Your waste provider will supply your business with a dedicated bin to store food waste between collections. Within your commercial waste contract, you can select from a range of commercial waste bin sizes.
Scheduled collections
Your waste firm will regularly empty your food waste bin, as your business requires. The frequency depends on the volume and type of food waste generated. Food waste can begin to smell if stored for too long.
Food waste disposal
Your waste collection provider will transport your waste to a local composting or anaerobic digestion facility. Your waste provider will also issue you an annual waste transfer note so you can demonstrate compliance.
Food types you can recycle
The following types of food waste can be included within a commercial food waste bin:
Fruits and Vegetables
Includes peelings, cores, and scraps.
Bread and Bakery Items
Stale or leftover bread, cakes, and pastries.
Dairy Products
Cheese, yoghurt, and other dairy items.
Meat and Fish
Cooked or uncooked, including bones.
Coffee Grounds and Tea Bags
Used grounds and tea bags.
Grains and Pasta
Cooked or uncooked grains, pasta, and rice.
Food waste that can’t be recycled
The following specific types of waste cannot be included within a commercial food waste bin:
Plastic Packaging
Wrappers, bags, and containers.
Glass and Metal
Bottles, jars, and cans.
Non-Food Items
Paper towels, napkins, and plastic utensils.
Large Bones
Typically too tough to process.
Shells
From seafood like oysters and crabs.
Commercial food waste bins
Various bins are used for commercial food waste collection, each designed for specific needs. It’s crucial to use the appropriate bins, particularly for raw meat.
Below are the most common commercial waste bins used for the collection and storage of food:
Picture source: Nisbets
Worktop Container Bins
Countertop bins offer a convenient way to quickly dispose of food waste while cooking or preparing meals. Their compact size makes them easy to place on kitchen countertops, providing immediate access for discarding scraps and trimmings.
Pedal Bin
Pedal bins often come with lids that can be opened hands-free, reducing the risk of contamination from handling. The pedal mechanism allows for easy and convenient food waste disposal, even when hands are occupied.
Open Top Bins
Open-top bins allow quick and effortless disposal of food waste without opening a lid, making them convenient for busy commercial kitchen environments where efficiency is paramount. The open-top design provides clear visibility of the bin’s contents.
Standard 240L Bin
Most businesses with a food waste collection service will utilise a 240-litre standard wheelie bin for commercial kitchen bin collection. This bin type is suitable for various kinds of food waste, including leftovers, peels, cooked meat, and coffee grounds.
Common industries that contribute to commercial food wasteThe leading industries contributing to food waste are involved in the food supply chain, spanning from farms to the point where food is sold to consumers, either in supermarkets or restaurants. Here are the top three industries responsible for food waste.
The leading industries contributing to food waste are involved in the food supply chain, spanning from farms to the point where food is sold to consumers, either in supermarkets or restaurants. Here are the top three industries responsible for food waste.
Cafes
Cafes contribute to food waste primarily through over-preparation and unsold products. Many cafes prepare fresh items daily, leading to excess that often goes to waste.
Pubs
Pubs often face food waste due to the need to maintain a diverse menu of fresh food options. This results in excess ingredients and uneaten food from patrons, contributing significantly to overall waste.
Restaurants
Restaurants must stock fresh ingredients daily to provide a variety of dishes, leading to inevitable food waste from unused and leftover ingredients and uneaten customer leftovers.
Commercial food waste hierarchy
Business waste regulations in the UK require businesses generating food waste to follow the following waste hierarchy.
The waste hierarchy is summarised as follows:
- Prevent surplus and waste in your business. Take steps to minimise unnecessary food waste production through optimisation of business processes.
- Redistribute surplus food and drink. Attempt to donate food that is fit for human consumption to local food banks and other charities.
- Make animal feed from former food. Low-risk food waste can be used as animal feed, subject to local authority registration.
- Process surplus food to make biomaterials. A niche option in certain industries where some types of food types can converted directly into packaging materials, soaps or leather. Or coffee shops converting spent coffee grounds into biofuel.
- Recycle – anaerobic digestion and composting. Use a commercial waste collection service to take your food waste to one of these facilities.
- Recover waste by landspreading. A process carried on the by-product of anaerobic digestion will be arranged by your local waste management providers.
- Recover energy from waste. A waste incineration facility can burn food waste to generate electricity used by food waste collection providers in the absence of the facilities above.
- Dispose – send to landfill. Include food waste in your general business waste disposals. This waste will be sent to a landfill facility by your waste collection provider.