Get your business ready for new UK food waste regulations
Get ready because new UK food waste laws are coming into effect on the 31st March 2025.
These regulations will make it a requirement for businesses to separate all food waste from their other waste streams. Not only this, businesses must also have this food waste collected and processed by an expert, such as Bio Collectors.
Let’s look at the what, when, who, why and how so your business can be prepared.
What are the upcoming UK food waste regulations?
- The new regulations say that all businesses, non-domestic properties and public sector organisations that produce at least 5 kg of biodegradable food waste per week will have to separately store this food waste from other types of waste, and process it separately too.
- By food waste, we don’t just mean restaurant food waste or supermarket food waste, rather this refers to anything that comes from the processing and production of food. It also refers to food consumed by animals.
- This food waste then needs to be collected by a licensed commercial food waste management expert, such as Bio Collectors.
- The government also advises that businesses use food collection services that utilise sustainable processes and anaerobic digestion to turn the food into biofuel, digestate and biogas. Luckily, our company is a leader in anaerobic digestion, food recycling and circular economy.
When will this be implemented?
- The new food waste regulations come into force in the UK on the 31st March 2025.
- This is catching up with Scotland which has already had this legislation in place since 2014.
- The legislation came into effect for Wales earlier this year in April 2024.
Who is involved and affected?
- The initiative has been introduced by Defra.
- The rules only apply to businesses and non-domestic spaces with more than 10 full-time employees. Any business with fewer than 10 full-time employees, will have until 2027 to comply with the new regulations.
- Here at Bio Collectors, our commercial food waste recycling services will become more in demand as a result of the new eco-friendly initiative. Our closed-loop food waste recycling is affordable, beneficial for the environment and helps businesses fulfil their new obligations.
Why is it happening?
- Defra wants to boost recycling rates, standardise recycling processes, and make waste management simpler for business owners.
- This is part of the government’s drive towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly future. It also supports the government’s aim to stop all food waste from going to landfill by 2030.
- These new regulations will ensure that waste is turned into valuable biogas, biofuel and digestate for crops, feeding a sustainable circular economy. This will avoid what happens at the moment, where food is sent to rot uselessly in landfill to produce greenhouse gases.
How can your business prepare for the new regulations?
- Your business can expect to save money under the new initiative as you won’t have to pay landfill tax. This means the sooner you get started with your switchover, the better.
- You can expect a fine if you don’t comply with these new laws and you will also likely experience reputational damage.
- To comply, your business will need to arrange separate storage for food separate from other types of waste.
- You also need to ensure the food waste is collected by a licensed professional.
- You can guarantee an even better environmental advantage by choosing a collector who will anaerobically digest your food waste to transform it into useful products such as biogas for the National Grid, which is exactly what we do here at Bio Collectors.
Searching for food waste collection and recycling for your business? Here at Bio Collectors, we’re making a big difference in UK energy and are helping you do the same. Our trucks take food waste off your hands, putting it into a closed-loop system that produces biogas to power the nation. We’re at the forefront of food waste recycling for London and the M25 region, always adhering to the latest legislation too.
