Food waste for businesses

Change is coming

The Government's Resources and Waste Strategy, first published back in 2018 and part of an initiative known as Simpler Recycling, will see changes for businesses and households with regard to disposal of food waste. Businesses must have a separate food waste collection in place by April 2025 alongside a separate refuse and recycling service. 

For further information about the government's plans and simpler recycling please visit Simpler Food Waste and Gov.uk: Resources and waste strategy for England.

Waste charity WRAP also offer advice WRAP: The Business of Recycling.

When the legislation comes into force

Businesses must have a system in place by 31 March 2025 or risk a fine. For households, we are still in the planning stages and new legislation will be implemented in April 2026. 

The new legislation

The new legislation applies to businesses which create more than 5kg of food waste per week and employ more than 10 full time members of staff.  

The new rules are part of the government's new Simpler Recycling Plan which aims to improve recycling rates; reduce landfill and lower greenhouse gas emissions. From 31 March 2025, all food waste must be separated into dedicated bins and collected by licensed waste carriers. Food waste can no longer be sent to an energy from waste (EFW) facility with general waste. Food waste must be managed by recycling by composting or anaerobic digestion. The food waste collected will be taken to digestion plants to create biogas. This will significantly reduce carbon emissions. 

The impact

Each year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted globally. That is over one third of all food produced globally. Food waste is estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to contribute eight to ten per cent of the total man made greenhouse gas emissions. To put it into perspective, if food waste was a country - it would be the world's third biggest after the USA and China. 

Contact us to help you with food waste collections

We are currently making plans to offer this service. Please Contact Trade waste. This is a chargeable service.