Restaurant waste management starts with knowing which waste goes where. Searches for restaurant waste disposal, restaurant waste removal and restaurant rubbish collection all lead to the same split between what a crew takes and what needs a specialist. A restaurant generates several types of waste, and only some of it goes into a clearance van. Our crew takes general and bulky waste, refit and fixture waste, furniture and cardboard. Food waste, cooking oil and grease need a specialist collector, and we do not take them. Separating waste is already a legal requirement for larger restaurants in England, and smaller ones have until 31 March 2027.
This guide sets out what we can take, what needs a specialist, and how the food waste separation rules apply to restaurant owners and general managers. The national rules apply to every restaurant in England, including those across East London.
Restaurant waste management: separating waste before collection
Under the simpler recycling rules in England, businesses must keep three streams apart before collection: dry recyclables (plastic, metal, glass, paper and card), food waste, and non-recyclable waste. The rules apply to businesses with 10 or more full-time equivalent employees from 31 March 2025. Micro-firms, with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees, have until 31 March 2027. The headcount covers the whole business, not one site.
There is no volume-based exemption for food waste. Gov.uk says the rule applies no matter how little food waste you have. On-site composting is a permitted alternative to food waste collection, provided it follows the relevant composting rules.
What our crew can take from a restaurant
| Waste type | Can our crew take it? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General non-recyclable waste | Yes | Bagged and kept away from food waste. |
| Cardboard | Yes | Flattened and kept dry. |
| Furniture, such as tables, chairs and benches | Yes | Covered by our shop and restaurant clear-outs. |
| Fixtures and fittings from a refit | Yes | Counters, shelving and fit-out debris. Keep plasterboard separate. |
| Electrical equipment (WEEE) | Yes, to proper facilities | Some items, such as fridges with certain coolants, are classed as hazardous. Tell us before we load them. |
| Food waste | No | Needs a separate food waste collection. |
| Cooking oil and grease | No | Needs a specialist collector. |
| Liquids | No | Not offered. |
Food waste and cooking oil need a specialist
We do not offer food waste collections, and we do not collect cooking oil or grease. Under the separation rules, food waste must be kept apart and collected separately, which is a different service from a clearance or general waste collection. Ask your council or a food waste specialist what is available for your premises.
Cooking oil and grease also need a specialist collector. As with any waste leaving your premises, you should have a transfer note or an equivalent document for each load, so ask the specialist what it will provide.
Refit and clear-out waste from a restaurant
Restaurants often clear out fixtures during a refit or a closure. Strip-out waste can include plasterboard, timber, rubble and fittings, and it sorts more quickly when the crew knows what is coming. Keep plasterboard apart from other waste, because gypsum-based waste must not go to a landfill cell that accepts biodegradable waste. Our strip-out guide covers this in more detail.
Planning a restaurant clear-out or regular collection
- Walk the site with a list of what goes and what stays.
- Keep food waste and dry recycling in their own marked streams before collection day.
- Tell us about any electrical items, including fridges and freezers.
- Agree access hours. Standard hours are Monday to Saturday, 7am to 7pm, and out-of-hours or Sunday work can be arranged.
- Sign the transfer note for each load on the day, and check it against what was taken.
A day in a restaurant's waste streams
Most restaurants produce waste in four places: the prep area, the service floor, the back door where deliveries arrive, and the bar. Prep waste is the most likely to be food. Service waste is mixed, and bar waste includes glass, which belongs in dry recycling under the separation rules. Deliveries leave cardboard and plastic packaging, and cardboard is one of the easiest streams to keep clean if it is flattened and stored dry.
Once you know which stream comes from which place, you can set up collection points that match. A food waste container in the prep area, a dry recycling point near the service exit and a cardboard store by the delivery door make collection day simpler for everyone. Label each container with its stream, and make sure everyone on the shift knows which one to use.
Cardboard and packaging from deliveries
Cardboard from deliveries takes up more space than its weight suggests. Flatten it as it arrives, keep it dry and away from food, and store it in one place. Other packaging, such as plastic film, should be kept out of food waste, and you should check with the crew before collection day what they can take from it.
Restaurant closures and end-of-lease clear-outs
When a restaurant closes or moves, the clear-out is often the largest job of its life. Fixtures, counters, shelving, tables, chairs and back-of-house equipment all need a route. If you are leaving rented premises, the lease may set out what must be removed or left in place, so read it before you plan the clearance. A walk-round with photos, a list of what stays and a clear collection date keep the job on track.
Which specialist to call for each stream
Food waste, cooking oil and grease need separate arrangements, and each has its own paperwork. Ask your council what food waste service it offers for businesses, and ask any specialist collector what it will provide for each load. Keep the specialist's paperwork with your clearance and collection records, so your files show where every stream went.
What to check on collection day
Before the crew leaves, check that each stream has been loaded as agreed, and that nothing from the food stream has gone into the dry recycling or general waste. Check the transfer note against the load, sign it and keep your copy. Send any change to the supplier with the note, so both records match. If something has been left out, such as a fridge you did not mention, tell the supplier before it leaves the site. A change on the day is far easier to fix than one found later.
How Commercial Rubbish handles restaurant waste
Rid Junk Ltd runs Commercial Rubbish. We clear restaurants and shops of general waste, bulky items, fixtures and furniture, cardboard and refit debris. We take electrical equipment to proper facilities, complete a waste transfer note for each business job and invoice the company. We do not take food waste, cooking oil, grease, liquids or hazardous waste.
If you are closing or refitting a site, send photos and a list of what goes and what stays through our contact page, and we will come back with a fixed price. Our shop clearance page sets out the full service.
Questions businesses ask
Can you take food waste from my restaurant?
No. We do not offer food waste collections. Under the simpler recycling rules in England, food waste must be kept separate and collected separately. Ask your council or a food waste specialist what is available for your premises, and keep the food stream apart on collection day so the crew can see what is what.
Do I have to separate food waste if my restaurant is small?
It depends on headcount. Businesses with 10 or more full-time equivalent employees have had to separate food waste since 31 March 2025. Micro-firms, with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees, have until 31 March 2027. Gov.uk says there is no food waste exemption based on the amount produced, and on-site composting is a permitted alternative to collection.
Can you clear a restaurant that is closing?
Yes. We offer shop, retail and restaurant clear-outs, covering general waste, fixtures and furniture. Send photos of the site and a list of what goes and what stays, and we will come back with a fixed price. Out-of-hours work can be arranged by agreement.
What about the fridges and the ovens?
Electrical equipment such as fridges, freezers and ovens is WEEE and needs a proper route. Some fridges and freezers contain ozone-depleting foam or coolants and are classed as hazardous, so tell us about them before we load anything. We take WEEE to proper facilities and provide a transfer note for the job.