As of 1st April 2025, English-based business premises will need to adhere to new business recycling legislation and waste laws.
The same rules were introduced in Wales in 2024. They state that businesses are required to manage three waste streams by separating dry recycling and food waste from general waste.
Who does the new recycling legislation change apply to?
The objective is to help remove food waste from landfill and means any organisation with 10 or more employees that produces more than 5kg of food waste each week, must segregate food waste from other waste streams and arrange separate collections.
The changes apply to all relevant non-domestic premises located in the English Waste Collection Authority, including schools; private and public sector organisations; and other third sector organisations such as prisons and hospitals. Businesses with less than 10 employees will also have to comply from April 2027.
What needs to be separated?
Your business will need to separate the following list:
- Glass
- Metal
- Plastic
- Paper and cardboard
- Food waste
- Cartons and food containers
In practice, this will be similar to English residential waste collection, which is split into recyclables and general waste.
In reality, many businesses will already consider this under their environmental responsibilities, however a greater degree of separation is now required. Staying compliant is vital to avoid fines as random inspections by the Environmental Health Officer (EHO) will be conducted.
How can my business prepare?
Sorting your business waste collections from a compliant collector is an important step which can make arrangement of suitable bins at a relevant size much more straightforward.
Many collectors can guide you on what sort of collection and container your business needs. At Procure Smart, we can guide you on what cost impact this change may have on your business, in the same way we supported our Welsh business customers this year. Check out our smart Waste Service page for more information on how we can help.
Simply fill out a contact form and we will be in touch for a FREE, no-obligation chat about your needs.
