Simpler recycling for businesses

11th February 2025

Did you know that from 31st March 2025, all businesses with 10+ full-time employees must separate their waste into specific streams?

What is Simpler Recycling?

In 2024, amendments were made to the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which include new requirements for the disposal of household-like waste produced by workplaces. These changes are part of the Government’s “Simpler Recycling” plans, with the key change being that plastic, metal, glass, paper and card (together known as dry recyclables) now must be presented separate from food waste and residual waste.

There is also a legal duty on businesses to take all reasonable steps to manage waste in a way that reduces environmental impact (known as the waste hierarchy).

If your business employs a waste collector, they will also have a duty to collect dry recyclables separate from food and residual waste.

Businesses with fewer than 10 full time employees do not have to comply until 31 March 2027.

What do you need to do?

The changes needed will depend on your sector as well as your business’ current waste collection arrangements.

Most businesses will need to do the following:

  • Ensure all dry recyclables do not contain any food waste
  • Separate dry recyclables and food waste from general waste
  • Separate paper and card from plastic, metal and glass

There are circumstances where paper and card can be collected together with plastic, metal and glass but you must prepare a written assessment to explain why this is the case.

Businesses already have a duty to dispose of waste without harming the environment and to apply the waste hierarchy. The waste hierarchy is a ranking of the options for managing waste, from the best for the environment to the worst:

  • Prevention
  • Prepare for reuse
  • Recycle
  • Recover value
  • Disposal

What happens if my business doesn’t implement changes?

Businesses and waste collectors who the Environment Agency suspect are not separating and collecting waste correctly might be issued with compliance notices. This also includes landlords and facilities management companies.

From April 2025, third parties will be able to report non-compliance. Further guidance on reporting non-compliance will be published by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs shortly.

Failure to respond to a compliance notice from the Environment Agency within the stated timescales could lead to a fine.

If you have questions about what you need to do to prepare for the changes to business recycling or you receive a compliance notice from the Environment Agency, please do not hesitate to get in touch with environment and regulatory law specialists, Craig Burman or Emma Reilly.

 

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