The local authority currently offers waste collection and a limited number of recycling collections to businesses.

But it reviewed the service ahead of the introduction of Simpler Recycling legislation, which requires companies to separate recycling and food waste collections from March, or March 2027 for smaller firms.

The council estimated that about 30% of its existing customers would need to contract a food waste service from March.

Cabinet member for environment Damian Corfield said: ‘With the new requirements coming in, for us to continue to provide this service would require significant investment, including on a specialist vehicle, which would spend long periods of time not in use due to limited demand.

‘It wouldn’t be a cost-effective service for the council to run and it would cost more for businesses to buy the service from us. We just can’t compete with the private sector.

‘We would also have no certainty about future take-up of the service, so we took the decision to cease it.’

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