Commercial Food Waste Bins

The bin is free; you pay per collection. A 120 litre food recycling bin costs £8.00 ex VAT per collection and a 240 litre bin costs £10.00 ex VAT, with no delivery or hire charge and prices fixed for 12 months. The total depends on how often the bin is emptied: a café or restaurant kitchen may need daily or twice-weekly collections, while an office usually manages on weekly. Separating food waste also lowers your overall bill, because it keeps heavy, wet material out of the general waste bin, which costs more per collection to dispose of.

All of them. A Mick George food waste bin takes cooked and raw food, including meat, fish and bones, dairy, eggs and eggshells, fruit and vegetable peelings, bread, pasta and rice, plate scrapings and out-of-date or spoiled stock. The waste goes to anaerobic digestion or industrial composting, where it is broken down into biogas for energy and fertiliser, so bones and shells are no problem. What must stay out is anything that is not food: packaging, liquids, garden waste and general rubbish, which contaminate the load and may lead to the bin being refused.

Packaging of any kind, including plastic film, trays, tins, jars and cardboard sleeves, must not go in a food waste bin, because it has to be removed before the food can be digested or composted. Tip the contents into the bin and put the packaging in the right recycling or general waste bin. 

Use compostable liners or none at all; ordinary plastic bin bags are not allowed. Plastic does not break down in anaerobic digestion or composting and has to be screened out, so a bin full of black-bagged food can be treated as contaminated. Certified compostable liners (look for the seedling logo or EN 13432 mark) are accepted and keep the bin cleaner, or you can tip food in loose and rinse the bin after collection. Many kitchens use a small lined caddy indoors and empty it into the outdoor bin, which keeps the larger bin from needing liners.

No. Liquids of any kind, including used cooking oil, fat, sauces, drinks and soup, must not go in a food waste bin. Liquid makes the bin too heavy to lift safely, leaks during collection and prevents the load being accepted at the digestion plant. Drain excess liquid and put the solids in the bin; small amounts of sauce clinging to plate waste are fine. Used cooking oil should be collected in a sealed container by a licensed oil collector, who will usually take it free or pay for it, and fat from grease traps is handled as a separate hazardous waste stream.

Collect it more often. In summer, moving a food waste bin from weekly to twice-weekly or daily collection is the single most effective fix, and the frequency can be changed at any point. Keep the lid closed and locked, drain liquids before food goes in, and use compostable liners so residue is not left on the bin walls. Store the bin in shade and away from kitchen doors and vents, and rinse it with a hose or mild disinfectant after each collection. Lining the base with a layer of cardboard or paper towel absorbs moisture, which is what causes most odour and fly problems.

Food waste bins come in two sizes, 120 litres and 240 litres, because food is heavy and larger bins cannot be lifted safely; a full 240 litre food bin can weigh up to 80 kg. Offices, small cafés and shops usually need one 120 litre bin emptied weekly. Restaurants, pubs, hotels and takeaways typically use one or more 240 litre bins collected twice weekly or daily. Collections are available daily, weekly or fortnightly, and the right answer is the smallest bin that stays below its weight limit between collections. Our bin size guide lists the dimensions of each bin.

Coffee grounds and tea bags yes; paper napkins no. Used coffee grounds, filter papers and tea bags all go in the food waste bin and break down well in anaerobic digestion and composting, though some tea bags contain a thin plastic mesh, so plastic-free bags are better where possible. Paper napkins, kitchen roll and greasy paper are treated as contamination and should go in the general waste bin, as they are not accepted by the digestion plant and cannot be recycled with cardboard and paper once soiled with food.