Retail waste management solutions
As a nationally recognised and trusted waste management partner, we understand the fast‑moving nature of the retail and food sector and the increasing pressure retailers face to remain compliant, efficient, and sustainable. Working in close partnership with leading ‘blue chip’ and independent retailers, we deliver specialist waste, recycling, and food waste solutions designed to support every retail business, from convenience stores and high street shops to supermarkets, shopping centres and large distribution centres.
Through innovative take‑back solutions and closed‑loop recycling systems, we can help retailers recover resources such as packaging, fixtures, textiles, and food waste, keeping materials in use for longer and supporting a genuinely circular economy. Where waste cannot be prevented or redistributed, we ensure it is treated responsibly, for example through redistribution, anaerobic digestion, generating renewable energy and reducing carbon impact., or where feasible and compliant into Animal Feed. Supported by robust data, reporting, and continual improvement.
Biffa helps retailers meet regulatory requirements, reduce costs, strengthen ESG and net zero performance, and deliver long‑term environmental and commercial value while protecting their brand.
Why choose Biffa
Navigating UK waste legislation & compliance requirements
Producer Compliance
Our producer compliance service helps businesses meet regulatory requirements and improve sustainability practices. Whether it's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), WEEE, or Batteries compliance, our expert team is here to guide you every step of the way. Our service offers expert advice, data management, and ongoing support.
Simpler Recycling
Simpler Recycling will transform recycling in England by standardising waste collection and introducing separate streams for recyclable materials, reducing general waste and increasing recycling overall.
Did you know?
10.6 million
Coffee Cups are estimated to have been recycled and sent into Croppers, helping to make pages of our Wasteaters Storybook.
4.7 million
food & drink items redistributed through Company Shop and away from waste as surplus in 2025/26 from the Biffa commercial teams.
Over 228
businesses have been supported through packaging consultancy, helping to reduce, reuse and recycle across their supply chains.
Further specialist & sustainable waste solutions for Retail
Find out how Biffa's sustainable expertise and specialist solutions can help you reduce and manage your waste, and recycle more.
Highly recommend an educational session with Biffa. The session was engaging, interactive, and perfectly pitched for the children, bringing recycling to life in an enjoyable and informative way. The focus on specialist recycling was particularly impactful, helping deepen understanding and encourage more thoughtful everyday choices. Delivered with enthusiasm and expertise, the session created a positive learning environment where children felt confident to ask questions and share ideas. It was a valuable experience that supported our wider work on sustainability and environmental responsibility.
E. Lewis, Claydon Primary School
Positive testimonial from Biffa's School visit
Attending the Company Shop Group was a highly positive and worthwhile experience. It was inspiring to see Biffa collaborating with contractors and charities to create real community impact and demonstrate wider social value. It was also valuable to interact with other charities, gaining insight into shared waste management challenges and different approaches to tackling them. The discussions highlighted how effective collaboration can drive positive outcomes. Thank you for such a well-organised and impactful event.
S. Kayani, British Red Cross
Positive feedback from Biffa's Charity Engagement Day
Social Value
Biffa recognises that retail and food organisations sit at the heart of the resource and waste cycle, making their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments critical to driving large-scale sustainable change.
We are supporting retail and food clients in achieving their ESG goals, helping organisations to turn waste into a resource, enabling a more circular economy while helping our partners embed sustainability into their operations in a way that is both commercially viable and environmentally responsible.
We are supporting retail and food clients in achieving their ESG goals, helping organisations to turn waste into a resource, enabling a more circular economy while helping our partners embed sustainability into their operations in a way that is both commercially viable and environmentally responsible.
Food Waste
With almost all UK Food retailers signed up to WRAP’s Food Waste Reduction Roadmap and the Courtauld Commitment, we support the practical delivery of industry‑wide targets to halve food waste by 2030 through a Target, Measure, Act approach. Our services enable retailers to accurately measure and segregate food waste, reduce surplus at source, and prioritise redistribution so that edible food is diverted to people first.
Circular Solutions
Biffa partners with retailers and food producers to move surplus products up the waste hierarchy, reducing impact and supporting commitments like the Courtauld Agreement. Surplus products are prioritised for redistribution via Biffa’s Company Shop Group and partners such as Olio to reduce costs, support communities and meet sustainability goals. Where redistribution isn’t possible, Biffa works with approved partners to deliver innovative solutions, such as Black Soldier Fly processing and compliant feed production to recover value from surplus. Closed-loop approaches turn ABP into pet food, while anaerobic digestion generates renewable energy maximising reuse, reducing carbon, and driving circularity
Strategic response to disruption
When unforeseen events threaten retail operations, Biffa provides swift and strategic support to keep businesses running smoothly. Leveraging a national infrastructure and a network of trusted partners, Biffa rapidly assesses the situation, tailors waste management solutions, and mobilises resources to minimise disruption. Their proactive approach ensures waste continues to move efficiently, reducing operational risk and supporting the entire supply chain—even during floods, equipment failures, or peak trading periods. With Biffa, retailers have a partner they can truly rely on.
Contact us
How can we help? Enquire about how Biffa can help your Retail business with waste management and reaching sustainable goals.
Meet our expert
Julia Turnbull
Julia is bringing 28 years of experience supporting complex, multi-site customers, specialising in Retail and Food sector, Julia leads a team to deliver compliant, sustainable waste solutions. She champions innovation, circular-economy initiatives, and data-driven strategies, improving operational efficiency, reducing waste-related costs, redistribution initiatives, and delivering measurable customer value. Julia's continual horizon scanning of legislative and market changes enables her to offer forward-looking advice, helping clients unlock improvements and future proof their waste and recycling strategies.
