On the 31st March 2025 businesses in the UK were required to arrange separate food waste collections and present their waste in line with new food waste regulations from the government.

The hospitality and food service industry generates around 18% of the UK's annual food waste, meaning these new rules could lead to higher costs for food businesses.

Here at Trail, we love sustainable business practices - so we’ve been helping our customers reduce food waste through implementing simple strategies. This is good for business, good for reducing food waste and good for the planet. 

In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the new regulations as a hospitality business, as well as the simple ways you can start reducing your food waste today.

Who’s impacted and what’s changed for hospitality businesses?

The new food waste regulations will affect a wide range of hospitality businesses, including: 

• Restaurants, cafés and pubs
• Hotels and B&Bs
• Caterers and event venues
• Fast food outlets and takeaways
• Food courts and service stations
• Staff canteens and institutional kitchens (e.g., hospitals, schools, universities)

What’s different for hospitality businesses?

While all non-household premises (excluding micro-businesses of fewer than 10 full-time employees) must now separate food waste, there are some unique challenges for hospitality businesses.

• Generating more food waste - Food businesses such as restaurants, hotels and caterers generate significantly more food waste daily than many other businesses, resulting in a greater operational and financial impact. 
• Food waste form more than one place - Unlike offices or retail businesses, hospitality venues produce a mix of edible and inedible waste such as plate waste, food prep scraps and unused stock that makes tracking and separating food waste trickier. 
• Storage and logistics issues - As businesses must store food waste separately, this may require additional thinking around bins, space and frequency of collections to prevent pests and odours. 
• Potential higher costs - Licensed waste carriers will charge for separate food waste collection and could increase overheads for hospitality businesses that already handle large amounts of waste. 

What’s next? Optimising food waste management in hospitality

Now that your new food waste collections are in place, you might be learning just how much food waste your venues produce and be thinking about taking action. 

We want to help operators take advantage of the new food waste regulations and turn it into a business win by shifting focus from compliance to efficiency, cost savings and sustainable business practices. 

Here are 6 tips for hospitality operators to optimise food waste management practices. 

1. Look at your menu 

Your menu is the first step in reducing food waste. Take a close look at portion sizes - are they resonating with customers, or is too much ending up in the bin? In hospitality, around 40% of food waste is carbohydrates, including potato, bread, pasta and rice, so adjusting these portions can make a big difference.

2. Smart inventory management 

A lot of waste comes from poor inventory management, with around 21% of food waste in hospitality coming from spoilage, either from stock going out of date due to poor rotation or over-ordering. Using restaurant inventory checklists and improving stock rotation can prevent spoilage and reduce unnecessary waste.

3. Be creative 

There are lots of creative ways to reduce food waste in your venues, such as repurposing surplus ingredients into specials or staff meals to help minimise waste while keeping menus fresh and cost-effective. Using food scraps in soups, stocks or garnishes ensures that every ingredient is utilised to its full potential. Exploring food waste reduction services like Too Good to Go allows you to sell surplus meals, preventing unnecessary disposal while also attracting eco-conscious customers.

4. Train your teams 

Your team plays a huge role in reducing food waste, so it’s important to provide training and tools to help them learn correct waste separation, efficient prep techniques and making the best recommendations to customers to reduce waste by offering to pack up leftovers.

5. Learn and improve 

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Track waste volumes to spot trends and identify issues as well as monitoring which menu items are generating the most waste. 

6. Connect with your customers over sustainability goals

Customers care more than ever about choosing sustainable businesses when spending their money. Make sure you communicate your food waste reduction efforts through menus, marketing and social media. Highlighting your commitment to sustainability reinforces brand loyalty and shows customers that your values align with theirs.

How task management software like Trail can help

Getting your team on the same page about food waste management best practices and putting some consistent processes in place is the best way to create sustainable change. 

Here’s how Trail’s checklist app can help: 

• Automate food safety checks – Digital checklists ensure consistent food storage, handling and hygiene to prevent spoilage.
  
  
• Streamline inventory management – Track stock in real-time, reduce over-ordering and stay on top of expiry dates.
  
  
• Standardise procedures – Assign and automate key tasks like food prep and waste disposal to minimise errors.
  
  
• Improve team accountability – Assign tasks, track completion and keep everyone aligned on waste reduction efforts.

Time to take action with Trail? 

With the new 2025 food waste legislation now in place, hospitality businesses have the perfect opportunity to look at their operational processes and reduce food waste in their business. 

In this article, we’ve looked at some practical and actionable ways you can start reducing food waste in your business. And, if you want a helping hand - maybe you should think about Trail for your business. 

Explore Trail’s digital checklist app by booking a demo or starting your free trial today.