Food Waste Legislation for Small Businesses
Is Your Business Ready for the March 2027 Changes?
From 31 March 2027, all businesses in England, including micro-businesses with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees, will need to separate food waste from general waste under the Government's Simpler Recycling legislation.
If you run a café, pub, restaurant, takeaway, office, school, hotel or any other business that produces food waste, now is the time to start planning.
At ReFood, we're helping businesses understand what the new legislation means and making compliance simple with dedicated food waste collection services tailored to your business.
What Is Changing?
The Government's Simpler Recycling legislation is designed to improve recycling rates and reduce the amount of food waste sent for disposal.
From 31 March 2027, businesses with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees (micro-businesses) will need to separate food waste from their general waste and arrange for it to be collected separately.
Larger businesses have already been required to comply since March 2025.
If your business produces food waste, you will need to ensure you have an appropriate collection service in place before the deadline.
Does My Business Need a Food Waste Collection?
If your business produces food waste, the answer is almost certainly yes.
This includes businesses such as:
- Cafés and coffee shops
- Restaurants
- Pubs and bars
- Takeaways
- Bakeries
- Hotels
- Schools and nurseries
- Care homes
- Convenience stores
- Offices with staff kitchens
Many businesses don't realise that food waste isn't limited to commercial kitchens. Tea bags, coffee grounds, staff lunches, fruit peelings and expired food all count as food waste under the legislation.
What Counts as Food Waste?.
Food waste includes much more than leftovers from customers' plates. Examples include:
- Plate scrapings
- Kitchen preparation waste
- Fruit and vegetable peelings
- Meat and fish waste
- Bread and pastries
- Dairy products
- Tea bags
- Coffee grounds
- Out-of-date food
- Food damaged in storage
- Staff kitchen waste
Why You Shouldn't Wait Until the Deadline
March 2027 may seem a long way away, but businesses that prepare early will benefit from a smoother transition. Planning ahead gives you time to:
- Understand the new requirements
- Choose the right collection service
- Train your staff
- Review your waste storage arrangements
- Introduce new procedures gradually
When previous recycling legislation came into force, many businesses waited until the last minute to arrange collections. By acting early, you can avoid unnecessary pressure and ensure your business is ready well before the deadline.
ReFood Makes Compliance Simple.
Get Started with ReFood
A simple way to start turning your food waste into renewable energy.
01
Get in Touch
Contact ReFood today via phone (0800 011 3214), email (info@refood.co.uk), or our quick enquiry form. Tell us about your business, food waste volume, and any specific needs (e.g., space constraints or collection frequency). Our team provides free, no-obligation advice tailored to your site.
02
We Set Up Your Service
We design a flexible collection plan that fits your operations, whether it's clean bin swaps (sanitised 240-litre bins or smaller caddies), bag collections for tight spaces, or bulk options for larger producers. No bin rental fees, no hidden charges. We ensure full compliance with regulations, including Animal By-Product rules, and handle everything with traceability and hygiene in mind.
03
Reap the Benefits
Your food waste is collected reliably on your schedule and processed through our closed-loop anaerobic digestion system. It turns into renewable energy (to power businesses and communities) and nutrient-rich bio-fertiliser for farms, diverting waste from landfill, reducing your carbon footprint, and supporting sustainability goals. Enjoy hassle-free service, transparent reporting, and the satisfaction of turning waste into a resource.
Food Waste Legislation for Small Businesses FAQs.
Do I need a food waste collection?
Most businesses and organisations in England are required under Simpler Recycling requirements to separate food waste from general waste for collection, even if they do not have a canteen or prepare food on site.
If food waste arises from your activities, including staff lunches, tea bags, coffee grounds or food brought in by employees, it should be separated from general waste and presented for separate collection. Micro-businesses (businesses with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees) are exempt until 31 March 2027, after which the requirement will also apply to them.
What if I only produce a small amount?
The legislation still applies.
Even businesses generating small amounts of food waste may need to separate it from general waste.
What if I only have an office?
Food waste generated through staff kitchens, break rooms, tea stations and lunches may still need to be separated.
Many office-based businesses are unaware they may be affected.
How much space do I need?
We can tailor your food waste collection service to suit the space available at your premises.
Options include:
- Internal food waste caddies
- Bag collections
- 240L wheelie bins
Whether you're operating from a small café, busy takeaway or larger hospitality venue, we can provide a collection solution that works for your business.
Is food waste separation difficult?
No.
For most businesses, food waste separation can be implemented quickly with simple staff training.
It's often easier than people think. ReFood can accept food waste in its packaging, so items such as sauce sachets, wrappers and napkins mixed in with plate scrapings can simply go into the food waste bin. This helps make food waste separation straightforward for busy teams and reduces the need for staff to spend time separating every item by hand.
ReFood can also support implementation within your business, helping teams understand the new requirements and establish effective food waste separation processes. Training materials and posters can be provided to help educate staff and encourage consistent compliance across your site.
What if I already recycle?
Food waste must still be collected separately.
Will it smell?
Food waste can be placed into bags before being presented in your food waste caddy or bin.
Bagging food waste helps contain liquids, reduce odours and keep containers cleaner between collections.
Combined with appropriate collection frequencies and ReFood's clean bin swap service, food waste can be managed hygienically and efficiently.
Will it attract pests?
Food waste can be bagged within containers and collected regularly.
Many businesses find that separating food waste actually improves the cleanliness of their waste area by removing food contamination from general waste bins.
Will separating food waste make my waste area cleaner?
In many cases, yes.
Food waste is often the wettest and most odorous component of general waste.
By removing food waste from general waste bins, businesses often benefit from:
- Cleaner waste containers
- Less contamination
- Reduced odours
- Improved hygiene
- Tidier waste compounds
- Reduced attraction to pests
Many customers find their overall waste area becomes cleaner once food waste is separated.
What Happens to Your Food Waste?
Once collected, your food waste is taken to one of ReFood's anaerobic digestion facilities.
Here, it is recycled into:
- Renewable energy
- Biomethane for the UK gas grid
- Nutrient-rich fertiliser used on British farmland
Instead of being treated as waste, your food waste becomes a valuable resource that supports the circular economy.
