Changes are coming with new legal duties for businesses and non-domestic premises in England regarding waste separation, as part of the Simpler Recycling scheme. These changes, effective from March 31, 2025, with a later deadline of March 31, 2027, for micro-firms, will affect a wide range of establishments, including offices, retail spaces, schools, hospitals, and hospitality venues.

Key Changes

From the effective date, workplaces must arrange for the separate collection of the following waste streams:

  • Dry recyclable materials: This includes plastic, metal, glass, paper, and card.
  • Food waste.
  • Black bin waste: This refers to residual waste that cannot be recycled.

Businesses can choose container sizes and collection frequency based on their waste volume. It is crucial to ensure that any waste management contractors employed correctly manage separated recyclables and residual waste, adhering to the waste hierarchy.

Responsibilities of Businesses

  • Separate Waste: Businesses are legally obliged to separate their waste into the streams mentioned above.
  • Arrange for Collection: Arrangements must be made for these waste streams to be collected separately.
  • Waste Management: Ensure waste is managed according to the waste hierarchy, prioritising prevention, reuse, recycling, and only then disposal.
  • Contractor Management: If using waste management contractors, ensure they manage separated recyclables and residual waste correctly.

Support and Guidance

The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) offers guidance and resources to help businesses adapt to these new rules.

Enforcement

From April 2025, the public can report non-compliance to the Environment Agency.

Full details are available here: Simpler recycling: workplace recycling in England - GOV.UK