Simpler Recycling in England: Policy update
By 31st March 2025, businesses and relevant non-domestic premises in England with more than 10 full-time employees will need to arrange for the collection of glass, metal, plastic, paper/card, and food waste as the core recyclable waste streams:
- Residual (non-recyclable) waste, e.g., ‘General waste’
- Food waste (mixed with garden waste if appropriate)
- Paper and card
- All other dry recyclable materials (plastic, metal, and glass)
The Government wants recycling to be as simple as possible and has issued guidance to give local authorities the flexibility to decide how to collect these waste streams. Garden waste collection is not mandatory at this stage.
As such, changes to service may be minimal, but Beyondly recommend checking with your waste service providers as these changes could require a maximum of four containers depending on your location. Paper and card can be collected with other dry recyclable materials where the waste collector has completed a co-collection assessment.
We advise checking that your existing business waste collection services will be providing appropriate food waste bins and a business food waste collection from 31st March 2025.
The new regulation applies to all businesses, irrespective of business activity or whether you manufacture or serve food. If employee food waste is generated then provisions for collection and appropriate treatment should be made in line with government guidance and scope below:
As a reminder, collecting this core set of materials will apply from:
- 31st March 2025 for recycling collections from businesses and relevant non-domestic premises (includes residential homes, premises forming part of a university or school or other educational establishment, premises forming part of a hospital or nursing home, and premises of a description specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State) with 10 or more full-time equivalent employees.
- 31st March 2026 for local authorities that will be required to collect the core recyclable waste streams from all households in England. This includes introducing weekly food waste collections for most homes, unless a transitional arrangement applies.
Other changes:
- Micro-firms (businesses with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees) will be temporarily exempt from this requirement. They will have until 31st March 2027 to arrange for recycling of core recyclable waste streams.
- The digital waste tracking service will no longer go live in April 2025 and is delayed until April 2026. An update is expected to confirm if this will be mandatory at the point of introduction as the Government continues to work with Devolved Governments and businesses to ensure its success.
- By 31st March 2027, kerbside plastic film collections from businesses and relevant non-domestic premises, and households, will be introduced.
What is the goal of these changes?
Simpler Recycling will increase consistency of materials that can and cannot be recycled to reduce confusion for businesses and the public, and increase recycling rates in a bid towards the Waste and Resources Strategy goal of eliminating avoidable waste by 2050. Simpler Recycling is part of a range of government commitments, including the delayed digital waste tracking that plans to move towards a zero waste, circular economy aiming for:
- Keeping our resources in use for longer and reduce waste
- Accelerating the path to Net Zero
- Investing in critical infrastructure, green jobs, and a sustainable economy where nature thrives
How can businesses go beyond the new regulations?
Mandatory food waste collections and potential further segregation of materials are likely to add new costs and operational challenges to businesses. However, it also makes the ideal time to get ahead of future changes, review opportunities to reduce costs by segregating materials of value, minimising residual waste, and engaging with a circular economy through the waste hierarchy. By setting waste benchmarks and targets, manufacturers, retailers, and service providers can make independently verified environmental claims.
Beyondly’s Zero Waste to Landfill and Certification services focus on minimising and optimising how materials are handled within the waste hierarchy, identifying opportunities to engage with a circular economy throughout your business.
Let us characterise and quantify waste performance, hotspots, and create a plan to ensure waste and resource management is optimised to save your business money, decarbonise your material footprint, and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.
