# Food waste EWC code 20 01 08 for kitchen and canteen food, and when another code applies.

> Food waste EWC code: 20 01 08 for kitchen and canteen food, the codes for food factories, markets and cooking oil, and the rule to separate it.
> Web page: https://complyonsite.com/tools/ewc-code-finder?waste=food

- Free, no account
- Based on the UK List of Waste and GOV.UK guidance
- Nothing is stored

## What does EWC code 20 01 08 cover?

20 01 08 is biodegradable kitchen and canteen waste, collected separately: leftovers, peelings, food prep waste, tea bags and coffee grounds from canteens, offices, cafés and site welfare. It isn’t hazardous, and it has no hazardous partner to rule out. Put it on the transfer note as its own line, not inside a general waste code.

## EWC codes for food from factories, markets and cooking oil

| Where it comes from | Code |
| --- | --- |
| Meat, fish or other animal food production | 02 02 03 |
| Fruit, veg, cereal or edible oil processing | 02 03 04 |
| Dairy | 02 05 01 |
| Bakery and confectionery | 02 06 01 |
| Drinks production | 02 07 04 |
| Markets | 20 03 02 |
| Edible oil and fat, such as used cooking oil | 20 01 25 |

Food makers start from the industry the food came from. Each factory code is that industry’s “materials unsuitable for consumption or processing”.

## Do you have to separate food waste at work?

In England, yes. Since 31 March 2025 every workplace, offices and construction sites included, must have food waste collected separately, “no matter how little” it has. Firms with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees have until 31 March 2027. Caddy liners, including compostable ones, can go in with the food. Packaging labelled compostable or biodegradable can’t.

### Sources

- [List of Waste, as retained in UK law (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2000/532/annex)
- [Environment Agency, WM3 waste classification guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-classification-technical-guidance)
- [GOV.UK, Simpler recycling: workplace recycling in England](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/simpler-recycling-workplace-recycling-in-england)

The codes apply across the UK. The workplace recycling rules here are England’s; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own.