What Olleco does

Olleco is a UK-headquartered circular economy company, founded in 2006 as the renewables arm of ABP Food Group, that supplies cooking oils and fats while collecting used cooking oil and food waste from over 50,000 food service premises across the UK and Ireland. Operations span 22 sites including the Aylesbury anaerobic digestion plant — described as powering the equivalent of 12,000 homes — and the Liverpool biorefinery, the UK's largest facility dedicated solely to processing used cooking oil into EN14214 EU specification, ISCC-certified biodiesel. With more than 1,000 employees, the company serves a customer mix that ranges from McDonald's UK, KFC, Arla Foods UK, KP Snacks, BaxterStorey, and Foodbuy down to independent pubs and fish and chip shops.

The technology platform integrates four processes: (1) delivery of cooking oils (rapeseed, vegetable, sunflower, olive), (2) collection of used cooking oil — automated through the OilSense telemetry system that plumbes storage tanks directly into fryers, (3) anaerobic digestion of food waste into biogas, electricity, heat, and PAS 110 organic fertiliser, and (4) conversion of collected oil into biodiesel delivering 88-89% carbon savings versus fossil diesel. The closed-loop logistics model combines fresh oil delivery and used oil collection in the same vehicle, reducing carbon miles by 50%. Notable assets include a Royal Warrant by Her Majesty The Queen (granted April 2019, the first circular economy company so recognised), the world's largest net zero carbon dairy at Arla powered by Olleco AD outputs, and ISO 9001/14001/14064, ISCC, Carbon Trust Quadruple Standard, FORS, and Safe Contractor certifications across sites.

Olleco generates revenue through multiple streams: subscription/transactional cooking oil supply priced by volume and frequency; rebates on collected used cooking oil (cashback or offset against oil purchases); biodiesel sales to commercial fleets in minimum 23,000L lots; food waste collection subscriptions; Total Resource Management contracts covering all waste streams; and OilSense equipment rental and maintenance. Pricing is uniformly quote-based with monthly billing cadence. Distribution relies on a direct sales-led model with regional account management for national chains, a 19-depot local network for SMEs, and a self-service mobile app and web portal for account management. The company is expanding internationally through the Olleco Bunge joint venture with Bunge, including 2023 acquisitions of Spanish operators Rafrinor S.L. and Discoil S.L.

Name

Olleco

Legal name

Olleco

Website

https://olleco.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Olleco is a UK circular economy company supplying cooking oils to over 50,000 food service establishments while collecting and converting their used cooking oil and food waste into biodiesel, renewable energy, and organic fertiliser through a 22-site national network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Blisworth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Cooking Oil and Fats Supply: Supply of premium cooking oils (rapeseed, vegetable, sunflower, beef dripping, olive oil, etc.) to food and hospitality businesses. Pricing is competitive and determined by volume, used oil recovery amounts, and delivery frequency. Containers are recyclable.
2. Used Cooking Oil Collection with Rebates: Collection of used cooking oil with rebates paid based on quality and quantity. Customers can receive cashback or offset rebates against fresh oil purchases. Rebates are monitored and reported via online account.
3. Biodiesel Sales: Sale of EN14214 EU specification biodiesel, ISCC certified, available to commercial fleets and forecourts. Minimum order of 23,000 litres. Can be used in 100% concentration in adapted commercial vehicles.
4. Total Resource Management and Food Waste Collections: Comprehensive waste management service for all waste streams including food waste, card, plastics, mixed recycling, residual waste, and hazardous waste. Food waste collections via anaerobic digestion with detailed carbon reporting.
5. OilSense Equipment Rental and Maintenance: OilSense storage systems available as purchase or rental during contract period, with optional ongoing maintenance contracts. Automated telemetry reduces collection costs and improves customer rebates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Olleco supplies premium cooking oils and fats to food and hospitality businesses across the UK and Ireland, collects used cooking oil and food waste, and converts these waste streams into EN14214 EU specification biodiesel, biogas, electricity, heat, and PAS 110 organic fertiliser through its dedicated biorefineries and anaerobic digestion plants. Service delivery combines same-vehicle delivery and collection, reducing carbon miles by 50%.

Product overview

Olleco is a circular economy platform serving the UK food and hospitality industry with an integrated offering of cooking oil supply, used cooking oil collection, food waste management, and renewable fuel production. The core portfolio consists of Cooking Oils (rapeseed, vegetable, sunflower, long life, beef dripping, olive oils), Used Cooking Oil Collection services (with OilSense automated storage and Food Factory specialist collections), Food Waste Collections (standard and bulk), and Biodiesel produced from processed UCO. The platform is complemented by the Olleco App/Customer Portal for account management and Total Resource Management for broader waste streams. Services are delivered through a nationwide network of 22 depots, with processing at dedicated bio-refineries and anaerobic digestion plants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OilSense: Bulk used cooking oil storage system connecting cooking oil storage tanks directly to fryers, featuring telemetry-based automated collections
• Terrana
• Climate Emergency Service

Products and services

• Cooking Oils and Fats Complete range of cooking oils and fats (rapeseed, vegetable, sunflower, long life, vegetable frying fat, beef dripping, and olive oils including the Terrana brand) supplied to UK food and hospitality businesses. Containers are recyclable and pricing is determined by volume, used oil recovery amounts, and delivery frequency.
• Used Cooking Oil Collection Collection of used cooking oil from commercial kitchens, with rebates paid based on quality and quantity that can be received as cashback or offset against fresh oil purchases. Collected oil is converted into biodiesel.
• OilSense Storage System Automated bulk used cooking oil storage system connecting tanks directly to fryers with telemetry monitoring that eliminates manual handling of hot oils, reduces risk of burns and spills, and enables optimised collection scheduling. Available as purchase or rental during contract period with optional ongoing maintenance contracts.
• Food Factory Used Cooking Oil Collection Specialist used cooking oil collection service for food manufacturing and processing plants, with bespoke storage solutions and detailed environmental reporting meeting ISO 14064 standards.
• Food Waste Collections Commercial food waste collection service processing waste through anaerobic digestion to generate renewable biogas, electricity, and organic fertiliser. Includes 120L, 180L, and 240L bin options. Disposal costs are significantly lower than general waste due to avoidance of landfill tax.
• Bulk Food Waste Collection Industrial-scale food waste collection for businesses producing over 10 tonnes per week, including food factories, local authorities, and manufacturers. Includes de-packaging capabilities for packaged food waste and on-demand 24-hour collections.
• Biodiesel High-quality biodiesel produced from used cooking oil at the UK's largest UCO-dedicated biorefinery in Liverpool. Delivers 88-89% carbon saving versus fossil diesel, conforms to EN14214 EU specification, is ISCC certified, and is available globally in minimum quantities of 23,000 litres for commercial fleets, forecourts, and combined heat and power plants.
• Total Resource Management Comprehensive waste management service encompassing all recyclable and residual waste streams including card, plastics, mixed recycling, glass, and hazardous waste, providing holistic environmental impact tracking across food waste and other waste categories.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% carbon saving with Olleco's biodiesel vs fossil diesel
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rafrinor S.L.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2023Used cooking oil collector and processor in Spain. Acquired by Olleco Bunge as part of European expansion plans.
• Discoil S.L.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2023Used cooking oil collector and processor in Spain. Acquired by Olleco Bunge as part of European expansion plans.
• BungecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2022Joint venture Olleco Bunge created to build a full life-cycle oil collection business in Europe. Expansion through acquisition of Rafrinor S.L. and Discoil S.L. (Spain, 2023) represents European growth strategy.
• McDonald's UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClosed-loop circular economy partnership: Olleco collects used cooking oil from McDonald's UK restaurants and converts it to high-quality biodiesel, enabling significant carbon reduction in their UK supply chain logistics. Food waste is also processed through Olleco's AD plant.
• Martin BrowercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogistics partner for McDonald's UK working with Olleco to power delivery vehicles with Olleco's biodiesel, creating a closed-loop supply chain solution.
• Arla Foods UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Olleco and McDonald's UK: Olleco processes McDonald's food waste in its AD plant to generate renewable heat and power that enables Arla to run the world's largest net zero carbon dairy. Organic fertiliser from the AD plant is used on farms supplying Arla.
• National Edible Oil Distributors Association (NEODA)coreOthersActive member of NEODA. Olleco's Head of Procurement Janine Barter serves as NEODA's Vice President, helping ensure the integrity and traceability of the UK's edible oil industry and supporting best practice in the sector.
• Royal Warrant Holders AssociationcoreOthersMember of the Royal Warrant Holders Association following the award of the Royal Warrant by Her Majesty The Queen on April 1st, 2019.
• ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification)coreOthersISCC certifies Olleco's biodiesel produced from waste oils and fats, confirming 89% lower carbon emissions than fossil diesel. Olleco operates under the ISCC scheme across all sites.
• Carbon TrustcoreOthersCertified by the Carbon Trust Quadruple Standard — an independent certification body recognising organisations committed to carbon reduction and sustainable business practices.
• Renewable Transport Fuel Association (RTFA)coreOthersFounding member of RTFA, the trade body for UK renewable transport fuel producers and suppliers. Twelve founding member companies represent all UK liquid renewable fuel producers and majority of green gas used in UK transport.
• Sustainable Restaurants AssociationminorOthersOlleco supports the Sustainable Restaurants Association, helping the hospitality sector serve the planet through sustainable waste management and circular economy practices.
• UK HospitalityminorOthersOlleco supports UK Hospitality, working with organisations across the hospitality sector to improve sustainability standards.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Brocklesby Ltd: UK-based specialist collector and processor of used cooking oil with downstream biodiesel production, operating a vertically integrated model that mirrors Olleco's UCO-to-biodiesel value chain in overlapping UK geographies.
• Argent Energy: UK independent biodiesel producer using waste oils and tallow as feedstock, directly comparable as a waste-based biodiesel manufacturer serving UK fuel blenders and fleets.
• Greenergy: UK renewable fuel supplier blending biodiesel and supplying forecourt and fleet customers, overlapping Olleco's downstream biodiesel sales channel and RTFO-aligned product portfolio.
• Bio Collectors: UK food waste collection company routing organic waste to anaerobic digestion, sharing Olleco's AD-to-biogas/fertiliser commercial logic and competing for the same hospitality and food-manufacturing waste streams.

Broad incumbents

• Biffa: UK's largest listed waste management company, offering food waste collection alongside broader commercial and municipal services; competes with Olleco's Total Resource Management and food-waste AD offerings at scale.
• Veolia UK: Global environmental services incumbent with extensive UK food/organic waste and AD infrastructure, providing overlapping capabilities to large enterprise and municipal customers that Olleco also serves.
• FCC Environment: Major UK waste management operator with commercial waste, recycling and organics/AD capabilities, addressing similar enterprise and local-authority food waste customers as Olleco.

Regional players

• Natural World Products: Ireland-based food waste anaerobic digestion operator, geographically adjacent to Olleco's Irish footprint and replicating the same AD-to-biogas/fertiliser circular model for the island of Ireland market.

Others

• Bunge: Global agribusiness and oilseed processor that is Olleco's JV partner (Olleco Bunge), providing origination scale, downstream oil market access and an avenue for replicating Olleco's model across Europe.
• ABP Food Group: Olleco's parent company and the diversified food processing conglomerate that created Olleco in 2006; provides capital, governance and a captive protein/processing demand base for circular-economy outputs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Olleco_UK
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ollecouk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/olleco

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Olleco