Big news for New South Wales based food businesses. From 1 July 2026, you will need to separate food waste from general waste. This could be a major shift for many businesses, with changes in policy, new equipment and staff training needing to occur. This mandate is part of a new law aimed at reducing landfill reliance and improving recycling operations.
To begin with the change will only affect larger food-related organisations, but it will eventually be rolled out to all food businesses with the aim to have all organisations separating their waste by 2030.
The time frame in which your business will need to comply is based on weekly rubbish bin volumes is as follows:
From 1 July 2026
Applies to sites that have a weekly general waste capacity of
From 1 July 2028
Applies to sites that have a weekly general waste capacity of
From 1 July 2030
Applies to sites that have a weekly general waste capacity of
With Great Sydney Region landfill allocation forecast to be exhausted by 2030, it's no wonder that the government has been forced to take action. A whopping 25% of commercial waste that ends up in landfill is food waste so scaling up food waste recycling is key to try to avoid a waste crisis.
The stakes from non-compliance are large, with potential fines of up to $500,000 and daily fees for ongoing non-compliance. However, initially, regulators say, they will focus on education and support rather than punishment.
So what do you need to do now?
Begin by signing up for Bin Trim and following along the steps to assess your waste.
If you have any questions, check out the EPA's resource on this new law change.
