Running a restaurant creates a constant stream of waste, and it needs to be taken care of in the right way. From food preparation and packaging to glass bottles, cardboard deliveries and general customer waste, bins can fill up surprisingly quickly on a daily basis.
The challenge isn’t just getting rid of it. Waste needs to be managed in a way that’s practical for a busy kitchen, keeps your premises clean and helps you meet your legal responsibilities. The right collection service should fit around your business, not the other way around.
Whether you run an independent restaurant, a chain or a takeaway, reviewing your waste arrangements can often improve efficiency and even reduce costs.
What Waste Does a Restaurant Produce?
Most restaurants produce several different waste streams every day.
Food waste is usually the biggest, particularly in busy kitchens where preparation waste and leftovers quickly build up. Alongside that, there’s general waste from customers and staff, cardboard from deliveries, glass bottles, plastic packaging and metal cans.
Some restaurants also produce waste cooking oil, cleaning chemicals or fluorescent lighting, all of which require separate disposal.
Keeping these waste streams separate isn’t just good practice. It often improves recycling rates and can reduce the amount of general waste you’re paying to dispose of.
How Often Should Restaurants Have Waste Collected?
For most restaurants, weekly collections aren’t enough.
Food waste can quickly create unpleasant smells and attract pests, especially during warmer weather. Busy restaurants often arrange two or three collections each week, while some city centre sites require daily collections because they have limited storage space.
The right schedule depends on your covers, opening hours, available storage and the amount of waste you produce. A quiet neighbourhood bistro will have very different requirements to a large restaurant serving hundreds of customers each day.
Your waste collection service should be flexible enough to cope with seasonal peaks too. Christmas, bank holidays and summer trading can all increase waste volumes significantly.
Food Waste Collection
Separating food waste is becoming increasingly important for businesses.
Not only does it help businesses prepare for the Government’s Simpler Recycling requirements, but it can also reduce the amount of general waste being collected.
Food waste should be stored in suitable containers and collected frequently enough to avoid hygiene issues. If you’re unsure what size bins or collection schedule you need, we can help assess your requirements.
You can find out more in our guide to food waste collection for businesses.
Glass, Cardboard and Recycling
Restaurants often recycle far more than they realise.
Wine bottles, beer bottles, cardboard delivery boxes, food packaging and drinks cans can usually be collected separately from general waste.
Improving recycling doesn’t just help the environment. It often means less general waste, which is usually the most expensive waste stream to dispose of.
A simple review of your waste setup can often identify easy opportunities to recycle more without making life harder for your staff.
Waste Cooking Oil
If your restaurant uses deep fryers, you’ll also need a safe way to dispose of waste cooking oil.
Used oil should never be poured down drains, as it can cause blockages and environmental problems. Instead, it should be stored safely and collected by a specialist waste management company.
If your business also produces other specialist waste, such as cleaning chemicals or batteries, these can usually be managed alongside your regular waste collections through a single provider.
Choosing the Right Waste Collection Service
Restaurants need more than someone who turns up to empty bins.
Collections need to be reliable, especially when waste storage space is limited. Missed collections can quickly become a hygiene issue, while oversized bins or unnecessary collection days can leave you paying for capacity you don’t use.
A good waste management company will look at how your restaurant operates before recommending the right containers and collection schedule. As your business changes, your waste service should be able to change with it.
How Wastege Can Help
Wastege works with restaurants, cafés, pubs and other hospitality businesses across the UK to provide reliable commercial waste collection.
We can manage food waste, general waste, recycling, waste cooking oil and other specialist waste streams, helping you keep everything under one provider. We’ll recommend the right containers, agree a collection schedule that suits your business and review your service as your requirements change.
If you’re unsure whether you’re on the right waste contract, we can also carry out a waste evaluation to identify opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should restaurant waste be collected?
Most restaurants need collections more than once a week, particularly where food waste is involved. The right schedule depends on the amount of waste your business produces.
Do restaurants need separate food waste collections?
In many cases, yes. Separating food waste helps businesses comply with recycling requirements and can reduce the amount of general waste they produce.
Can restaurants recycle glass bottles?
Yes. Glass bottles are commonly collected separately from general waste and recycled.
Can Wastege collect different waste streams together?
Yes. We can arrange collections for general waste, recycling, food waste and other specialist waste streams, making it easier to manage everything through one provider.
Arrange Restaurant Waste Collection
Looking for a reliable commercial waste collection service for your restaurant?
Get in touch with Wastege for a free, no-obligation quotation and we’ll recommend a waste collection service that fits around your business, not the other way around.