Below are the companies we are aware of that provide separate commercial food waste collections in Bristol. This list is not exhaustive, so if you know of any other companies who should be here, please do let us know.
Things to know:
- There are two types of waste companies – waste management companies who collect waste from you directly, or waste brokers who sub-contract work out to somebody else. We have highlighted this different in the listing.
- Food can be processed in two different ways – using anaerobic digestion or by commercial (in-vessel) composting. See the video links that follow showing the differences between anaerobic digestion and in-vessel composting: Anaerobic digestion and In-vessel composting.
- Ask the right questions – we’ve listed a few questions you should ask you existing waste contractor or a new contractor when looking into setting up food recycling collections.
| Company name | Type of company | How food is processed |
| Biffa | Waste management company | Anaerobic digestion |
| Bristol Waste Company | Waste management company | Anaerobic digestion |
| GENeco | Waste management company | Anaerobic digestion |
| Grist Environmental | Waste management company and Broker | Anaerobic digestion |
| Grundon | Waste management company | Anaerobic digestion |
| Hills | Waste management company | Anaerobic digestion |
| Keenan Recycling | Commercial food waste collection service | Anaerobic digestion |
| McCarthy Marland | Waste management company and Broker | Anaerobic digestion |
| Simply Waste Solutions | Broker | Anaerobic digestion |
| Smiths of Gloucester | Waste management company | In-vessel composting |
| Suez | Waste management company | Anaerobic digestion and In-vessel composting |
| Veolia | Waste management company | Anaerobic digestion |
| WasteSource | Broker | Anaerobic digestion |
Important note
All companies should be able to provide you with details of their waste carrier or broker licence to demonstrate they are registered with the Environment Agency to collect or trade waste – for more info read the Waste Duty of Care code of practice on the UK Government website. Bristol Food Network does not endorse any of the companies on this list.
Questions to ask your waste collection company
1. What is the minimum amount (tonnage) of food waste they will collect on a weekly basis?
2. Are you a waste management company (someone who collects directly) or a waste broker (who sub-contracts work out to somebody else)?
3. Does your food waste goes for anaerobic digestion or in-vessel composting?
4. What size and type of bins do you offer? e.g., 120/140/240L; lockable or without locks
5. Do you require the bins to be lined and if so, with what?
If you think your organisation is too small to have your own food waste collection…
Are you interested in a food waste collection, but feel that your organisation is too small to benefit from this? There are multiple options available for you:
- Some waste management companies have small bins and infrequent collection options available. The smallest bins are usually around 120L but this will vary depending on the waste management company. Bins can be collected every month.
- Set up an informal association with nearby businesses. This allows you to share the costs of collection, but must be managed properly to ensure all parties are meeting their waste duty of care obligations.
- Ask your waste management company about setting up a recycling hub that can be used by multiple businesses. This has cost benefits for you as consumers, but also increases efficiency for waste management companies, who only have to collect from one place to service multiple organisations.
This resource has been produced to support Bristol Going for Gold.
Updated July 2022.
