Recycling and food waste
Recycling has the potential to bring significant economic and environmental benefits to Scotland.
The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 require that all waste producers (excluding householders) take reasonable steps to present key dry recyclables, including glass, metals, plastics, paper and cardboard for separate collection.
The regulations also require some food businesses to segregate food waste for separate collection.
The Scottish Government’s Duty of Care - A Code of Practice provides additional guidance on these requirements.
Along with local authorities, we are responsible for enforcing Scottish recycling duties. Any person who fails without reasonable excuse to comply with the duties imposed above may be liable to financial penalties.
Do the regulations affect me?
The duty to segregate dry recyclable waste for collection applies to all waste producers (excluding householders).
Only food businesses are required to separate food waste. A food business is defined as ‘an undertaking, whether for profit or not and whether public or private, carrying out any activity related to the processing, distribution, preparation or sale of food’.
Examples of food businesses include:
- Restaurants.
- Cafes.
- Hotels.
- Schools and colleges.
- Nursing homes.
- Public houses that sell food.
What do I have to do?
Business owners
You must segregate recyclable waste from general waste and present it for separate collection. Co-mingling of dry recyclables is acceptable, provided it does not result in lower quality material than would be achieved from a fully separate collection. Fully co-mingled collection systems which include both paper and glass together should be avoided.
If you operate a food business which consistently produced 5 kg or more food waste a week, you must also segregate this and present it for separate collection, with some exemptions, noted below.
You should seek advice from your waste contractor on how to present dry recyclables for collection.
Waste management business owners
You are responsible for ensuring the waste you collect is legally compliant. You should conduct spot checks for contamination, and feedback to businesses, as appropriate. You should report persistent non-compliance to us or to the relevant local authority.
It is recommended that only clear bags are used for the sack collection of recyclable materials, to facilitate a visual quality check. Black and opaque bin bags should be avoided for this purpose.
Food waste exemptions
The following food businesses are exempt from the duty to segregate food waste:
Rural food businesses
If you own a food business located in an area defined as ‘rural’, you do not have to present food waste separately. You can check Scottish Government’s guidance to determine whether, for the purposes of this exemption, your business post code is defined as ‘rural’:
Defining rural and non-rural areas to support zero waste policies
Food businesses producing less than 5 kg per week
If you own a food business that consistently produces less than 5 kg a week (roughly equivalent to a full domestic kitchen caddy), you do not have to segregate food waste for separate collection.
Contact us
If you have any questions or require any further information or advice on any aspect of clinical or healthcare waste, please contact us