Disposing of food and catering waste

Food of animal origin (for example meat, fish, dairy or eggs) becomes an animal by-product (ABP) when it's no longer intended for human consumption. This may happen when food is removed from sale because it has passed its 'sell by' or 'use by' date, or due to damage, soiling or contamination of the produce or its packaging.

Waste rules for food businesses

Food businesses in Northern Ireland must present food waste for separate collection if they produce more than 5 kilograms of food waste a week. 

These rules apply to:

• restaurants
• cafes
• hotels
• canteens
• pubs that serve food
• supermarkets
• shops that serve food
• schools
• colleges
• prisons
• nursing homes
• hospitals
• health and social care trusts

To determine how much food waste your business produces, remember that a domestic kitchen food waste caddy holds roughly 5 kilograms of food waste.

Businesses exempt from food waste rules

You are exempt from separate food waste collection rules if:

• your business produces less than 5 kilograms of food waste per week
• you handle international catering waste that falls under category 1 ABP and requires specialist management

Separate food waste collections (for businesses above 5kg/week) must not go to landfill, or be deposited in a lateral drain or sewer.

Catering waste

Catering waste is food waste from restaurants, catering facilities and kitchens. It includes animal by-products (ABPs) such as:

• cooked or processed meat and fish
• bakery products containing meat, fish or dairy products
• cooking oil used for cooking meat or fish

You can send catering waste to an approved composting or biogas facility.

Landfills cannot accept liquid waste so you should collect used cooking oil, store it in suitable containers and have it removed by an authorised waste carrier. Most will go to biodiesel production or incineration to generate electricity.

Catering waste does not include 'former foodstuffs' from retailers or food manufacturers.

Former foodstuffs

Former foodstuffs are foods containing animal origin materials that are no longer intended for human consumption. This includes food that is waste due to manufacturing or packaging defects. Former foodstuffs do not include catering waste from restaurants, catering facilities and kitchens.

Waste from a factory that produces cooked meat is not catering waste - it is former foodstuff (category 3 ABPs). Examples of category 3 ABPs include:

• raw meat, fish and eggs
• cooked meat and fish
• meat and fish products that require cooking before consumption
• catering waste other than international catering waste

You must dispose of category 3 ABPs at approved premises, by rendering or incineration, or disposal at an approved biogas or composting plant. Generally, you cannot send category 3 animal by-products to landfill.

Read more about animal by-product categories.

International catering waste from ships and planes

International catering waste is waste food from aircraft and ships that have called at airports or ports outside the European Union. It is classed as high risk material (category 1 ABP). You must dispose of it by incineration, rendering or burial in an approved landfill site.

Read more about disposing of animal by-products.

Detailed guidance on animal by-products from food and feed businesses is available from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).