Is the Organics Recycling Industry Prepared for Simpler Recycling Regulations? 
Author: Jenny Grant, Head of Organics and Natural Capital at the REA

As England’s food waste collections move rapidly from policy into practice, the Organics Recycling industry has been busy preparing to ensure there is enough treatment capacity. Judging the treatment capacity that will be needed is tricky as it depends on two moving targets: how much food waste will actually be collected, and how much treatment capacity is genuinely available to process it. Some things are clear. Household food waste collections are rolling out across the country and new burdens funding has helped councils implement these services. Despite procurement delays, analysis of BBC figures by WRAP suggests that 86% of authorities required to collect food waste by March 2026 will have a service in place by the end of the year. In addition to households, collection of food waste from larger businesses began last March and micro-firms (with under 10 FTE employees) will be required to have collections from March 2027.

Yet, the biggest unknown remains: how much food waste will actually be captured? And from the treatment perspective, there is also uncertainty around when operators can expect to see the increase in tonnages. Participation is perhaps the most unpredictable factor. Social media reactions suggest resistance to food waste collections in some areas, while others adopt the service with ease. Changes to residual collections may influence levels of engagement, and education and communication campaigns to support behaviour change will be critical. Food waste minimisation and redistribution initiatives add further uncertainty. Awareness campaigns like Food Waste Action Week may reduce overall waste, while growing redistribution networks mean more food could be consumed rather than sent for treatment — both good outcomes, but they reduce the amount of material delivered to AD or composting plants.

What treatment capacity do we have today?
On the face of it, the current infrastructure base is substantial. At present, there are 36 operating composting sites and 108 anaerobic digestion plants approved by APHA under the Animal By-Products Regulations to take food waste. We know where these sites are geographically and mapping of approved facilities shows a reasonably wide distribution across the country. Permitted capacity does not always equate to operationally available capacity, as many factors influence throughput, including feedstock types, process optimisation, and market demand for digestate or compost. As food waste becomes more available, operators are increasingly likely to prioritise it over lower-yield or less commercially favourable feedstocks.
What will determine whether capacity comes forward?

WRAP’s Recycling Infrastructure Capacity Analysis suggests that AD capacity could rise from 2 million to 4 million tonnes, potentially sufficient through 2030, but assumptions around collection volumes, participation, and timing remain uncertain. Ultimately, capacity does not emerge simply because policy says it is needed. It comes forward where the commercial conditions justify investment. Most AD plants rely on subsidy schemes. Older plants may have benefited from ROCs, FITs or RHI, while newer biomethane projects fall under the Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS). The original GGSS was launched in 2021 and was scheduled to run until March 2025. It was then extended to March 2028 and has recently had the commissioning deadline extended to March 2030. Although the support is welcome the short-term visibility of the support scheme deters developers when these projects have long lead times. Clarity on the future support framework for biomethane will be critical. That future policy design will matter enormously as investors and operators need confidence that expansion, conversion, or optimisation projects will be viable. That distinction could have a major bearing on how much additional capacity can be brought to market in time.In addition, feedstock security is important and short-term contracts can make it difficult to underwrite major capital investment. Longer-term certainty around feedstock supply will be important if operators are expected to expand. The sector has not stood still. While much of the debate has focused on whether the industry is “ready”, the reality is that many operators have been actively investing, upgrading and expanding in anticipation of Simpler Recycling.

Although not a comprehensive list, there are a number of recent and ongoing examples help illustrate that point:
• Eco Sustainable Solutions: Commissioning a new plant near Bournemouth designed to take 100,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of food waste feedstock and supply biomethane to grid.
• Severn Trent Green Power: Refreshed and recommissioned their Derby food waste AD plant, permitted to process 75,000tpa of solid and liquid food waste and supply green gas to grid.
• Biogen: Begun construction of a £20m+ project to expand and convert its Westwood plant to gas-to-grid, with completion expected in early 2027, and is expected to have capacity of around 100,000tpa. This is intended as the first in a broader programme of biomethane conversion and expansion across other sites.
• BioteCH4: Began preparing for rising food waste volumes as early as 2018. It has since expanded capacity at Cambridge and Lincolnshire by around a third through installation of new digestion capacity. It has also undertaken de-gritting projects in older digestion tanks and adjusted retention times to maximise throughput.
• EDL: At its Yorkshire facility, EDL has recently commissioned another digester, increasing capacity in preparation for Simpler Recycling. The site has a permitted capacity of 211,000tpa.
• Durranta: Invested in a new transfer station in Middlesbrough, refurbishing it into a food waste ‘soup’ production site. Also planning to install a new biogas upgrading facility and increase processing capacity at their AD plant.
• Material Change: Focused on waste-based plants and has recently acquired sites in Devon and Somerset.
• Envar: Has planning permission for a 70,000tpa food waste AD plant in Cambridgeshire.
• Olleco: Indicated it could expand capacity at existing sites if required.
• Bio Capital: Ambitions to expand, subject to feedstock certainty.
• Eco Verde Energy: Recently secured a contract to take household food waste into its AD facility in Norfolk, while also having capacity at other sites.

Taken together, these examples point to a sector that has not been waiting passively. The organics recycling industry has been planning, investing and positioning itself to respond. That is a positive story — and one that deserves more recognition.

Why this matters: the opportunity is too big to miss
Capturing food waste is not just about compliance, it is about unlocking resources. Anaerobic digestion and composting can generate:
• Renewable energy: biomethane and electricity
• Biofertilisers: supporting agricultural nutrient needs
• Composts and soil improvers: enhancing soil health and sequestering carbon

At a time when the UK is focused on energy resilience, fertiliser security, resource efficiency and decarbonisation, food waste treatment has a clear and increasingly strategic role to play. As well as the environmental benefits, treatment of food waste through AD or composting is considerably cheaper than sending it to EfW or landfill if it remains in the residual waste stream, so there are real savings in treatment costs for local authorities when it is separately collected.

A cautiously positive outlook:
Do we have enough capacity? Probably, but timing and bin-users’ participation will determine success. The sector has already invested, optimised and expanded and this will continue. Existing capacity is being maximised, and new projects are coming online. Uncertainty remains, but the industry remains capable and willing to respond and consider making further investments. Food waste is not just a challenge — it is a resource with huge environmental and economic potential, and the UK’s waste sector is ready to unlock it.

For more information or any requests, please contact:
Aisha Afeef, Communications Executive: [email protected]