Is food waste collection a legal requirement for businesses?

Yes, food waste collection is a legal requirement for businesses in England that produce food waste. Under Simpler Recycling, a business with 10 or more full-time-equivalent staff has had to keep food waste separate from general waste and have it collected since 31 March 2025; a business with fewer than 10 has until 31 March 2027. There is no minimum amount: an office whose staff eat at their desks produces food waste, and so does a café. The exception is a workplace that produces none at all. The collection has to be a separate food stream; food in the general waste bin or down a macerator does not meet the rule.