Guidance

Storing food waste: RPS 269

Published 2 November 2022

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/storing-food-waste-rps-269/storing-food-waste-rps-269

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to get an environmental permit when a waste collection authority, or contractors working on their behalf, store food waste.

However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action against you if do not comply with these legal requirements provided:

  • your activity meets the description set out in this RPS
  • you comply with the conditions set out in this RPS
  • your activity does not cause (and is not likely to cause) pollution of the environment or harm to human health

When this RPS applies

This RPS applies to the storage of waste food (waste code 20 01 08) by a waste collection authority or contractors working on their behalf, until transportation for recovery.

Conditions you must comply with

You must:

  • only receive food waste which is in sealed bags or containers
  • store the food waste in a sealed container
  • keep records for 2 years to show that you have complied with this RPS and make these records available to the Environment Agency on request

You must not:

  • store more than 240 litres of food waste at any one time
  • store food waste for longer than one day before onwards transportation for recovery
  • carry out any waste treatment activities

When you must check back

The Environment Agency will review this RPS by 30 September 2025. You will need to check back then to see if it still applies or if you need to apply for an environmental permit.

The Environment Agency can withdraw or amend this enforcement position before it expires if they consider it necessary. This includes where the activity that this RPS relates to has not changed.

If you cannot comply with this RPS

If you operate under this RPS but think you may no longer be able to comply with its conditions, you must tell the Environment Agency immediately.

Contact the Environment Agency

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

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