Food Waste Regulations for UK Businesses: Separate Collection Rules Explained
If your business produces food waste — and that includes any premises with a kitchen, canteen, or staff breakroom — you must collect it separately from all other waste. This isn't guidance. It's a legal requirement under The Waste (Recyclable Waste) (England) Regulations 2023, in force since 31 March 2025 for businesses with 10+ employees.
The separate food waste rule is the strictest part of Simpler Recycling. Dry recyclables can be mixed together in one bin. Food waste cannot be mixed with anything.
Which businesses are affected
Every non-domestic premises in England that produces food waste and has 10 or more full-time equivalent employees. That covers:
Obviously affected:
- Restaurants, cafes, pubs, and takeaways
- Hotels with kitchens
- Catering companies
- Food retailers (supermarkets, convenience stores, bakeries)
- School and university canteens
- Hospital and care home kitchens
Less obviously affected:
- Offices with a staff kitchen (tea bags, coffee grounds, lunch leftovers, fruit peelings)
- Gyms with smoothie bars or vending machines selling fresh food
- Hairdressers and beauty salons with a staff kitchen
- Any premises where staff eat lunch on site
The test isn't whether food preparation is your primary business. It's whether food waste is generated on your premises. A 50-person office where staff make sandwiches and heat up meals produces food waste — and must collect it separately.
Micro-businesses (fewer than 10 FTE) are exempt until 31 March 2027.
What "separate collection" means in practice
Food waste must be:
- Collected in a dedicated food waste container — not mixed with dry recyclables, general waste, or any other waste stream
- Kept physically separate from other waste at all times, from the point of creation to collection by the carrier
- Collected by a waste carrier who takes it to a food waste processing facility (composting or anaerobic digestion — not landfill or general incineration)
What counts as food waste
The definition is broad. All of the following are food waste:
- Raw and cooked food scraps
- Plate scrapings
- Tea bags and coffee grounds (including coffee pods without the pod)
- Fruit and vegetable peelings
- Eggshells
- Bread, rice, pasta
- Meat and fish (including bones)
- Dairy products
- Edible oil and fat (though large quantities of cooking oil are collected separately — EWC code 20 01 25)
What isn't food waste (for collection purposes)
- Packaging that contained food (goes in recycling or general waste depending on contamination)
- Compostable packaging (despite the name, most commercial food waste collections don't accept compostable plastics — check with your carrier)
- Cooking oil in large quantities (separate collection under a different EWC code)
- Garden/green waste (different classification under EWC chapter 20 02)
Setting up food waste collection
Step 1: Get the right containers
For most commercial premises, you need:
| Container | Size | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen caddy | 5–23 litres | Next to food preparation areas | Lined with compostable caddy liner or newspaper |
| External food waste bin | 120–240 litres | External waste storage area | Lockable lid recommended. Collected weekly minimum. |
For restaurants and food-heavy businesses, you may need a larger 240L or 360L bin, or multiple bins. For offices, a 23L caddy inside and a 120L external bin is usually sufficient.
Liners: Use compostable caddy liners that meet BS EN 13432 — your food waste processor may have specific liner requirements. Ask your carrier.
Step 2: Arrange collection with your waste carrier
Contact your existing waste carrier and ask for a food waste collection service. If they don't offer one, you'll need an additional carrier specifically for food waste. Key questions:
- What size container do they provide?
- How frequently do they collect? (Weekly minimum is typical for food waste, more frequent for restaurants)
- Where does the food waste go? (Should be composting or anaerobic digestion facility)
- What's the cost per collection?
Verify the food waste carrier's registration using our Waste Carrier Licence Checker.
Step 3: Get the documentation right
You need a Waste Transfer Note specifically for food waste. The correct EWC code is:
- 20 01 08 — Biodegradable kitchen and canteen waste
This WTN is separate from your general waste and dry recycling WTNs. Each waste stream needs its own documentation.
Step 4: Brief your staff
The main failure point for food waste segregation is contamination. Staff put the wrong things in the food waste caddy — or avoid using it and put food waste in the general bin instead.
Effective briefing covers:
- Where the caddy is and what goes in it
- What doesn't go in (no packaging, no liquids, no plastic bags)
- Why it matters (legal requirement, not just a suggestion)
A laminated poster next to the caddy listing accepted and rejected items works better than a one-off email.
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WasteProof helps UK businesses track WTNs, verify carriers, and stay compliant — from £19/month. Join the waitlist for early access.
Costs and savings
Food waste collection costs vary by region and frequency. Typical ranges for commercial premises:
| Service | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| 23L caddy collection (weekly) | £5–£15/week |
| 120L bin collection (weekly) | £10–£25/week |
| 240L bin collection (weekly) | £15–£40/week |
The offset: separating food waste from general waste reduces your general waste volume, which reduces your disposal costs (especially the Landfill Tax component at £126.15 per tonne). For food-heavy businesses like restaurants, food waste can represent 40–60% of total waste by weight. Diverting this from general waste to a food waste stream often reduces total waste costs despite the additional collection charge.
Enforcement
Food waste compliance is enforced by local authorities under the same framework as other Simpler Recycling requirements. DEFRA indicated that the first year (2025–2026) would focus on guidance and support rather than prosecution. From 2026 onwards, expect enforcement to tighten.
Penalties for non-compliance follow the standard waste duty of care enforcement route — compliance notices, fixed penalty notices up to £300, and prosecution with fines up to £5,000 for persistent offenders.
Checking your compliance
Use our Simpler Recycling Compliance Checker for a quick assessment of your overall recycling compliance, including food waste.
For a thorough check, verify:
- Food waste is collected in a separate container
- A registered carrier collects the food waste
- You have a WTN with EWC code 20 01 08
- The food waste goes to a composting or anaerobic digestion facility
- Staff know what goes in the food waste caddy
- Internal caddy liners are compostable (not standard plastic bags)
Your food waste collection is part of your broader waste compliance checklist. Get this right, and you've tackled the most common gap in Simpler Recycling compliance.
This guide is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific compliance queries, consult a qualified waste management consultant or solicitor.