Frequently Asked Questions

Starting a service with Bio Collectors couldn’t be easier.

The first thing you need to do is contact us so we can ask you some basic questions about what services you require and to ensure we can safely access your site to collect the waste.

Depending on the service type, this will often involve a site visit where a member of the Bio Collectors team will check the site’s suitability and discuss the best service for your specific type of food and anticipated volume.

If you’re a brand new customer to Bio Collectors, you will also be sent our online credit application form for completion.

Our bag collection service is designed primarily for sites with very small quantities of food waste or that have no area to store full-sized waste bins. The bag collection service is only available to selected London postcodes, so get in touch with us to find out more.

Assuming the service is available in your area, once your account application is processed and approved the bags can be ordered through the Bio Collectors website as required. All collection and disposal costs are included in the price already, so what you see is what you pay.

You will be given a date and time band for services in your area and you will simply need to leave the securely tied bags outside your business for collection by our dedicated bag team.

Please note: we will only collect bagged food presented in the relevant Bio Collectors bags for this service.

Very quickly! Once a service agreement has been signed, we are usually able to deliver the required containers to site within 3 working days so contact us today!

Generally speaking, we can accept any food waste that could otherwise have been eaten. This includes uncooked meats and small bones.

We can even accept food that is still packaged, such as out-of-date produce, because the packaging will be separated from the food and sent for further processing.

If you are unsure if your waste is suitable, please get in touch.

Crew are required to check every bin or bag they collect to ensure there is no non-food waste present that would be considered a contamination. Should there be any non-authorised waste present, our crew will be unable to collect the container or bag until it has been removed.

Items such as glass, metal, chemicals, garden waste or any waste in black bin bags will result in the container or bag being refused collection.

Also, all waste remains the responsibility of the producer until it’s collected. It’s crucial to ensure your waste bins are clearly marked and that all staff are instructed in the correct usage, as well as what food waste they can put in them to avoid delays or disruption to your service. Bio Collectors are not responsible for any food left out that has been contaminated or otherwise not disposed of correctly.

At Bio Collectors, we do as much as we can to avoid any disruptions to your service and to provide collections throughout the year.

The only days we are specifically closed and not providing scheduled services are over Christmas (24th – 26th December) and New Year’s Day (1st).

All other public holidays, including Bank Holidays, are normal working days for our team so you will receive your service as usual if it should fall on such a day.

If your business will be closed or otherwise not needing a scheduled service due to a holiday, then you will need to inform us that you will not require the collection. If we do not receive any notification then your service will be attended as normal, and if we are unable to access your waste, you may still be charged for the attempted collection as per your service agreement.

We understand that sometimes you may need to take a little break to get things done.

Should a site temporarily need to suspend a service for any reason, such as refurbishment, then all you need to do is get in touch with the stop and start dates. Once we have these, we will suspend your service between the provided dates and send you a confirmation.

Please note that we cannot suspend a service indefinitely. We must always be provided with a stop and start date with any temporary suspension request and this can only be for a combined maximum of two months in any twelve-month period.

Anaerobic digestion is a collection of processes by which micro-organisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. It’s recognised by the Government as the most environmentally sustainable solution to recycling food waste.

The process produces a biogas, consisting of methane, carbon dioxide and traces of other gases that can be used directly as fuel in combined heat and power (CHP) gas engines, which we then use to generate sustainable electricity.

Bio Collectors is one of only a handful of UK plants able to clean and upgrade this biogas to the same purity as natural gas, allowing it to be used in all the same applications such as cooking and heating. Bio Collectors inject this gas directly into the National Grid to be used in homes and businesses across the UK.

The process of breaking the waste down also generates a nutrient-rich liquid called digestate, which we distribute to our partner farms for use as a high-quality, natural fertiliser, helping them re-invigorate the soil naturally.

All food waste we collect gets taken straight to our own Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility in Mitcham for recycling and transformation into sustainable gas, electricity and fertiliser.

We are a 0%-to-landfill company, and even the packaging we remove is separated into paper, plastic, etc. and sent for further processing, so you can rest assured that every bit of your food waste is recycled and re-used in the most effective and sustainable way possible

As a general rule, our services are not suitable for private residences due to minimum volume requirements and access for heavy goods vehicles. Our food waste collections are focused towards commercial food waste sectors from manufacturing factories, schools, restaurants, hotels etc.

Every collection of a container that we provide is scheduled and logged via the PODFather delivery system. Once a site is signed up to our services, we can provide you with a custom login to enable you, or selected staff, to access your completed waste transfer notes (WTN) at your convenience.

Please note – this service is not available for pre-paid bag collections.

If you experience any issues using our website, please get in touch with a description of the issue you are having along with any relevant screenshots.

We endeavour to answer any such issues as quickly as possible.