New regulations for Business Waste come into force 31st March 2025 You will need to seperate your recycling from your general waste Workplace Recycling What you need to know
This short guide provides the basics you need to manage the waste your business produces, providing practical tips and help with legal compliance.
Know your legal obligations for waste
All businesses in England must pay to dispose of their waste, using a specific business waste collection service, usually known as a trade waste service. It is illegal for a business to use the free collections service for homes. Council enforcement teams check compliance regularly and can issue fines or penalties, under the Waste Duty of Care Code of Practice 2018. What is changing?
The law is changing in England which will require you/your workplace to recycle a core set of recyclable materials.
When is this happening?
By 31st March, 2025
if you have 10 or more full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. if you have fewer than 10 FTE employees in total across all of your premises.
By 31st March, 2027
What will I need to recycle?
You will need to recycle the following materials: » Food waste - This can be; food leftovers, tea bags, waste generated by preparing food (of any volume, including if the workplace does not serve food or have a canteen) » Paper and card - Such as old newspapers, envelopes, delivery boxes and packaging » Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, and cartons - Such as rinsed empty food containers and bottles » Metal tins and cans, foil and empty aerosols » Glass bottles and jars » Plastic films (from 2027) The new legislation in England requires waste and recycling to be separated: 1. Food waste: Must be collected separately from other waste. 2. Dry mixed recycling: Includes paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, and glass – your waste provider may collect these separately. 3. General waste: Includes non-recyclable waste. Speak with your waste collector to find out how they can assist you. If your business employs fewer than 10 full time staff, the deadline for implementation will be 31st March, 2027, but it’s a good idea to take the opportunity to comply early – giving you one less thing to worry about!
Environmental legislation also states that all businesses are responsible for the waste they produce. By law, every business must; » Use the most environmentally preferable option of waste management, as per the waste hierarchy below.
Most preferable option and least impact on the environment
Minimising the amount of waste produced
Prevention
Cleaning, repairing, refurbishing
Preparing for Reuse
Make new products from old materials
Recycle
Least preferable option and most impact on the environment
Obtaining energy from waste
Othe Recovery
Burial of waste in landfill
Disposal
» Know the type and quantity of waste produced. » Classify waste using the European waste catalogue.
» Arrange for a registered waste carrier to collect the waste and completed associated waste transfer notes (it is illegal to use an unregistered carrier without a licence). » Dispose of electrical waste via a compliant scheme, not in regular bins.
Hints and Tips
Conduct a waste audit to find out why you create waste and to highlight potential areas for efficiency improvements. You can find a waste audit template here as a starting point: www.businessofrecycling.wrap.org.uk/resources
I do not produce much food waste – do I still need a separate collection?
All workplaces producing food waste (including teabags etc) will need to arrange for separate collection in accordance with the new Simpler Recycling requirements. This is regardless of the volume, and applies to all workplaces, not just those that serve food or have catering facilities. Workplaces have flexibility to decide on the frequency of collections to align with the volume of waste they produce, so it is possible to arrange for infrequent collections if this suits the needs of the workplace best. How to produce less waste Preventing waste before it’s created, and reusing items are the most cost-effective methods of reducing your business waste costs. Prevention
• Communicate electronically to avoid printing. • Provide jugs of tap water and glasses rather than bottled water. • Use rechargeable batteries.
• Bulk buy to reduce the amount of packaging. • Lease equipment rather than buying outright.
Reuse
• Donate reusable items to charity, including unsold food. • Reuse boxes and packing materials. • Use glasses, cups, cutlery and plates to avoid disposables. • Arrange to send packaging back to the supplier. • Return unsold items back to the supplier. • Refill ink cartridges instead of buying new ones. • Shred scrap paper or cardboard to use as packing.
Useful contacts
• Wrap offer free waste management help for businesses; https://businessofrecycling.wrap.ngo/ • Business waste and environmental impact advice from the government is available at; Business waste and environmental impact - www.gov.uk • Simpler recycling: workplace recycling in England guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/simpler-recycling- workplace-recycling-in-england • For advice on reducing food waste visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com and www.guardiansofgrub.com • Advice on small business efficiency is available at https://www.fsb.org.uk/resources-page/how-to-reduce-waste- in-your-small-business.html
Waste companies can support you in securing a suitable waste and recycling collection system for your premises
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