What’s changing?
From 31 March 2025, all businesses, public sector organisations, and charities in England with 10 or more employees must separate recyclable waste into distinct streams, similar to how households manage recycling.
If you do not comply with these requirements by 31 March 2025 (or 31 March 2027 for micro firms with less than 10 employees), you are at risk of receiving a compliance notice from the Environment Agency.
Who needs to comply?
These rules apply to all workplaces in England that produces waste, including offices, shops, hospitality venues, and factories. If your business generates waste, you must ensure recyclables are separated into the correct bins before collection.
If your business is located in a rented property where the landlord manages waste disposal, you will need to discuss compliance with them. While landlords are responsible for arranging waste collection, individual businesses must still ensure proper separation.
What waste needs to be sorted?
You must separate dry recyclable waste, food waste and black bin waste from each other.
Dry recyclable waste is:
- Glass (such as drinks bottles and rinsed empty food jars)
- Metal (such as drinks cans and rinsed empty food tins, empty aerosols, aluminium foil and aluminium food trays)
- Plastic (such as rinsed empty food containers and bottles)
- Paper and cardboard (such as old newspapers, envelopes, delivery boxes and packaging)
Food waste is:
- Food leftovers
- Waste generated by preparing food (of any volume, including if the workplace does not serve food or have a canteen)
Black bin waste or residual waste is:
- Absorbent hygiene products such as nappies
- Highly contaminated materials like food packaging that cannot be washed
You can either use separate bins for each waste stream or opt for a co-mingled collection service, as long as the materials are sorted before processing.
What’s not allowed?
Recyclable materials cannot be mixed with black bin / non-recyclable general waste. If your waste collector offers a co-mingled service, they must process the recyclables separately after collection.
How to prepare your business
- Assess your current waste management: Conduct a waste audit to understand what materials your business discards or if your waste is managed by a landlord, discuss how they will implement the new requirements.
- Update waste collection contracts: Speak with your current waste provider or landlord to ensure they can manage the required separation.
- Provide the right bins: Set up clearly labelled recycling stations and ensure employees and visitors have easy access to the correct disposal points.
- Train your staff: Educate employees on which materials go in which bins.
- Monitor and improve: Regularly check bins for incorrect disposal.
From April 2025, the general public and other parties will be able to report workplaces that do not follow these rules to the Environment Agency.
By preparing ahead of time, your business can smoothly transition to the new recycling rules ready for when the new rules come into place.
Further information can be found on GOV.UK here.
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