The food sector is broad: from a small restaurant in a residential street, to a central kitchen serving many branches, to an industrial bakery or a food factory in an industrial city. The first question owners ask is whether they need an environmental permit, and the answer depends on size and activity, because the Implementing Regulation for Environmental Permits classifies activities by type, size, energy used, resource consumption and surrounding receptors. A small restaurant's requirements are not the same as a central kitchen's or a factory's, and the National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC) decides after reviewing the classification form.
Key environmental aspects of food businesses
| Aspect | Required management |
|---|---|
| Frying oil and grease | Separate collection and handover to a licensed party; never into drains |
| Grease traps | Regular cleaning with a record of every clean |
| Organic waste | Separated from other waste, stored to prevent odors and collected regularly by a licensed party |
| Water | High consumption, and grease- and detergent-laden discharge that needs pretreatment |
| Emissions and odors | Extraction systems, ovens and stacks directed away from homes |
| Refrigeration | Servicing by a licensed party that recovers the gas |
| Packaging | Sorting cardboard and plastic for recycling |
Central kitchens and food factories
These activities are closer to industry than to a restaurant: large production, multiple pieces of equipment, industrial boilers or ovens, and more waste. They usually face clearer requirements and need an environmental management plan covering waste, water and emissions, with regular records. If a factory has boiler or oven stacks, the Air Quality Regulation requires annual measurements through a licensed provider unless they are under continuous monitoring.
What the law says about waste
The Waste Management Law requires waste producers to reduce waste, store it in designated places and sort recyclables, and allows waste management activities only by parties licensed by the National Center for Waste Management (MWAN). Anyone handing waste to an unlicensed party is jointly liable for damages. Restaurants in shopping centers also fall under the center's waste system, which the law requires to be contracted to a licensed provider.
Odors, noise and neighbors
Odors from extraction systems and night-time noise from condensers and fans are among the most common causes of complaints about restaurants and central kitchens. The Noise Regulation sets 60 dB by day and 50 at night for mixed residential-commercial areas. After a complaint, NCEC may require noise modeling and a reduction plan.
Practical tips for restaurant and kitchen owners
- Contract a licensed party to collect used oil and keep the handover receipts.
- Set a grease trap cleaning schedule and record every clean.
- Separate organic waste from other waste to make collection and treatment easier.
- When opening a new branch or converting a restaurant into a central kitchen, review your environmental position before operating, since a change in size may need a new permit.
Related guides
- Environmental permit for food and pharmaceutical warehouses
- Wastewater: treatment before discharge
- Handling an environmental complaint from neighbors
- Slaughterhouse and livestock market requirements
How Abak Green helps the food sector
We review your activity and size, determine whether it needs an environmental permit, and manage the file, environmental management plan and records suited to restaurants, central kitchens, bakeries and food factories. Request a review of your activity.
