What is food waste?
Food waste refers to edible food that is discarded or lost at any stage of the food supply chain – from production and processing to retail and consumption. This includes leftover meals, expired items, spoiled produce, and trimmings from food preparation.
Why is food waste a problem?
Food waste has serious environmental, social, and economic impacts. Decomposing food in landfills releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Additionally, wasting food means wasting all the resources used to produce it—water, energy, and labour.
What happens to the food waste after collection?
Depending on the type and condition of the waste, it may be:
- Processed into compost
- Converted into biogas and energy through anaerobic digestion
- Repurposed for animal feed or industrial use
Our goal is always to divert waste from landfills and maximize resource recovery.
What types of food waste can be collected?
We will consider all types of food waste and turn over every stone to find a solution.
What is considered bulk food waste?
Bulk food waste refers to large quantities of discarded food, typically from businesses like restaurants, hotels, food manufacturers, supermarkets, and farms. It includes expired or unsellable food, packaged and palletised food waste.
Can I include packaging with food waste?
Contact our team to discuss! We can usually find solutions for all types of waste, including food waste with packaging. Whether it’s compostable, recyclable, or requires specialised disposal, we’ll help you manage it efficiently and sustainably.
What happens to the food waste after collection?
♻️ Composted to create nutrient-rich soil enhancers
⚡ Converted into renewable energy through anaerobic digestion
🐄 Used for animal feed (for certain approved waste streams)
🏭 Processed for industrial uses such as biofuels or bioplastics
What are food waste regulations?
From 31 March 2025: Under the Environment Act 2021, all businesses in England producing over 5 kg of food waste per week, and/or those with 10 or more employees, must:
- Separate food waste into its own bin.
- Arrange collection via a licensed waste carrier.
- Food waste includes all biodegradable material from food prep or leftovers, e.g bones, coffee grounds, tea bags, eggshells, peelings
- Micro-businesses (fewer than 10 employees) are exempt until 31 March 2027, after which they must also comply
From 31 March 2026, local authorities are required to offer weekly household food waste collections:
Households will use separate containers for:
- Residual (non-recyclable) waste
- Food/garden waste (can be combined if approved)
- Dry recyclables (paper, card, plastic, metal, glass)
A key government aim is to eliminate food waste to landfill by 2030.