Storing food waste: RPS 269
Published 2 November 2022
Applies to England
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.