Your Business is Food

Businesses must separate food waste

Under new NSW laws, businesses that sell or handle food must separate food waste from general waste.

Your business can save costs on waste disposal to landfill, improve business operations, reduce your carbon footprint and divert food waste for beneficial reuse.

Businesses and institutions such as supermarkets, cafes, schools, hospitals and hotels will be required to have a source-separated food organics waste collection service, starting in stages from 1 July 2026.

Get ready for the mandate

The statewide Business FOGO Mandate starts from 1 July 2026, with a staged approach to 2030 based on businesses weekly residual bin volumes.

Comply by 1 July 2026

Applies to sites that have a weekly general waste capacity of ≥ six 660L bins, or ≥ 16 x 240L bins, or any combination of bins ≥ 3,960L

Comply by 1 July 2028

Applies to sites that have a weekly general waste capacity of ≥ three 660L bins, or ≥ 8 x 240L bins, or any combination of bins ≥ 1,980L

Comply by 1 July 2030

Applies to sites that have a weekly general waste capacity of ≥ 660 litres in a single bin, or ≥ three 240-litre bins, or ≥ 720 litres in total for any combination of bins

Find out if your business needs to source separate food waste using the NSW EPA FOGO business mandate calculator

Support for businesses

The NSW EPA provide a range of free online tools to support businesses to address the upcoming FOGO business mandates:

Assess your food waste using the online FOGO calculator (NSW EPA)
Use the Bin Trim online portal to complete a waste assessment, create an action plan and track your progress.
Businesses may apply for a Bin Trim rebate, up to $50,000 to help with the purchase price of recycling equipment.
Watch the NSW EPA Business Mandate Information Session webinar.

Working in hospitality?

Explore these online resources

Systems Mapping for Clubs and shopping centres, understanding pain points for businesses
Reducing Food Waste in your business Hospitality Hub
Hospitality food waste reduction toolkit
Your business is food toolkit
Donate surplus food
Signage and training videos

Working with schools and institutions?

Explore these online resources

Guide to managing food waste in schools
Solving organic waste in schools, NSW Department of Education resources
Early Childhood Food Waste Action Guide
Your Business is Food Aged Care Toolkit

Find out how these local businesses are reducing their food waste

Watch how The Element Bar in Coffs Harbour reduced their waste.

Watch how Drury Lane in Port Macquarie reduced their waste.

Support for businesses

The EPA will check compliance of government operated facilities such as hospitals, jails and schools.
Local councils will check compliance of facilities such as pubs and clubs, cafes and restaurants, food courts and nursing homes.
The NSW EPA has granted a number of early generic exemptions from the FOGO mandates to help support a practical transition for councils and businesses.
Where generic exemptions do not apply, councils and businesses may apply for a custom exemption if compliance is demonstrated to be unreasonably burdensome or not feasible.
Find out more at the NSW EPA.

CLICK HERE