In March 2025, new recycling laws will come into effect across England, changing how businesses handle their waste. These new rules will require businesses of all sizes to separate waste into specific categories and manage it responsibly. The legislation is part of the UK government's broader push to reduce waste, increase recycling rates and meet environmental targets.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new requirements and how they might affect your business.

What’s changing?

From 31st March 2025, all businesses and non-domestic premises with 10 or more full-time employees in England will have a legal duty to separate and manage their waste on-site according to specific rules. The key waste types that need to be separated are:

Dry recyclable materials - including glass, metal, plastic, paper and card.
Food waste - such as leftovers, food scraps and waste from food preparation.
Black bin waste (residual waste) - including non-recyclable items like heavily contaminated packaging, used nappies or certain hygiene products.

If your business generates garden waste, it must be recycled or composted where it provides the best environmental outcome.

Businesses will need to provide separate containers for each of these waste categories and discuss the requirements with their waste collector to arrange separate collections for each. The waste collector can either be a private service or your local authority may offer recycling services.

Separating recyclable waste

You must separate paper and cardboard from other dry recyclables (such as plastic, metal and glass) unless your waste collector arranges to collect them together. In some cases, waste collectors may choose to collect other recyclables, like glass, separately. It’s important to discuss your specific collection needs with your waste provider to ensure full compliance with the new regulations.

Who needs to comply?

The new rules apply to any business or workplace that generates waste similar to household waste. This includes a wide range of businesses, such as:

Offices
Retail and wholesale businesses
Hospitality venues (cafes, restaurants, hotels)
Educational establishments (schools, universities)
Healthcare facilities (hospitals, GP surgeries, care homes)
Charities
Places of worship

If you’re unsure whether these rules apply to your business, it’s a good idea to consult the full legislation.

Micro-firms have more time to comply

Micro-firms are businesses with fewer than 10 full-time employees. They have more time to comply with the new regulations. They are not required to separate waste until 31st March 2027. This gives smaller businesses additional time to implement the necessary changes.

When calculating the number of employees, part-time staff should be counted as a fraction of a full-time equivalent (FTE). Volunteers don’t count toward the employee total.

What are the penalties for non-compliance?

If businesses fail to comply with the new regulations by 31 March 2025 (or by 31 March 2027 for micro-firms), they may face a compliance notice from the Environment Agency. Failure to comply with a notice can lead to enforcement action, including fines.

Additionally, from April 2025, the public will be able to report businesses that fail to comply, which could lead to further scrutiny.

Prepare for the new workplace recycling legislation

To get ahead of the changes, ensure that your current recycling bins are suitable for the new requirements. Our range of recycling bins are available for purchase now and are ideal for larger sites or central waste collection but watch this space for new additions to our recycling bin range coming in January 2025!

For more information on the new legislation, visit gov.uk.