A new set of recycling laws called “Simpler Recycling” will come into force across England on 31st March 2025. The new legislation will change how businesses manage waste, aiming to improve recycling rates and make it easier for companies and non-domestic premises to manage their waste effectively.
New regulations can be stressful for businesses, but as a waste management company with over 40 years of experience, we’re here to help prepare your business for the changes and to make sure you’re complying with the regulations before the new laws come into force.
What is Simpler Recycling?
DEFRA plans to introduce the Simpler Recycling initiative to standardise non-residential recycling across the country. This Simpler Recycling legislation requires that businesses, schools, hospitals, and other non-domestic premises must recycle specific materials in separate bins, including food waste, glass, metal, recyclable plastic, paper, and cardboard where quantities exceed 5kg per week of the recyclable materials.
Why are DEFRA Making Changes to Commercial Waste?
The “Simpler Recycling” changes are to improve recycling rates in England. The main goals of the Simpler Recycling initiative are:
- Improving UK Recycling Rates: Despite substantial progress, the UK’s recycling rates have levelled off over recent years. The new “Simpler Recycling” legislation aims to increase our rates by making recycling methods more consistent and clearer.
- Reducing Waste Contamination: Contaminated waste usually means it can’t be recycled or makes it much harder. Increasing waste segregation should hopefully reduce the amount of waste being contaminated.
- Reaching Net Zero Targets: The new laws will help the broader efforts to achieve the UK’s net zero targets by diverting more waste from landfill sites.
When Does Simpler Recycling Start?
- 31st March 2025: All non-household municipal premises (excluding micro-firms) must implement recycling practices for all recyclable waste streams.
- 31st March 2026: Households will need to recycle all waste streams, except plastic films. Local authorities to start receiving ongoing resource funding for food collections, meaning weekly collections will take place and all core recycling collections continue.
- 31st March 2027: Micro-firms (businesses with fewer than ten full-time equivalent employees) must comply with the new recycling requirements.
How to be Compliant with Simpler Recycling?
To comply with the new Simpler Recycling legislation, businesses must:
- Arrange Waste Collections: Partner with a licensed waste carrier to collect recyclable materials. Cartwrights offers comprehensive waste collection services tailored to meet these new requirements.
- Recycle Specific Materials: Ensure the recycling of food waste, glass, metal, recyclable plastic, paper, and cardboard.
- Separate Waste Streams: Implement separate bins for different types of waste, such as mixed recycling, food waste, and glass.
If your business requires additional support on DEFRA’s Simpler Recycling legislation, Cartwrights is here to help. By providing waste management services that introduce a consistent and sustainable approach to recycling, we can help your business thrive. Please reach out today.
Is your business ready for the new simpler recycling regulations starting on 331 March 2025?
Workplaces will require designated bins for waste segregation.
The categories for separation of specific waste;
Glass (Yellow):
- Glass packaging, including jars and bottles
Food Waste (Green);
- All food intended for human or household pet consumption
- Biodegradable material resulting from processing or preparation of food, including
- food parts such as bones, eggshells, fruit and vegetable skins
- tea bags
- coffee grounds
Recyclable Clean Plastics (Blue):
- Plastic bottles
- Pots, tubs and trays
- PE and PP plastic tubes
- Cartons for food, drink and other liquids
- Plastic film and packaging plastic bags
Metal (Blue):
- Steel and aluminium cans
- Steel and aluminium aerosols
- Aluminium foil
- Aluminium food trays
- Steel and aluminium jars and bottle lids
- Aluminium tubes
Paper and Cardboard (Red):
- All paper and cardboard except;
- paper and card that contains glitter or foil
- paper that is laminated
- stickers and sticky paper
- padded lined envelopes
- paperback and hardback books
- wallpaper
General Waste (Black):
- Non-hazardous general waste that cannot be recycled
