Simpler Recycling Law
The New Simpler Recycling Law: What Businesses Need to Know Before the 31st of March 2025
Author: Karragon Vincent
0 min read
11th March 2025
Introduction
From March 31st, 2025, businesses in England must comply with the government’s new Simpler Recycling law. Designed to streamline waste management and increase recycling rates, this regulation mandates how businesses must separate and dispose of their waste. With the deadline fast approaching, now is the time to prepare and ensure compliance.
What is the Simpler Recycling Law?
The Simpler Recycling Law is a new government regulation that aims to make recycling easier and more consistent across all businesses in England. Currently, different councils and waste management companies have varied recycling rules, making it confusing for businesses to properly dispose of waste. This law introduces a standardised waste separation system to ensure all businesses follow the same recycling process.
Under these new rules, businesses must separate their waste into specific categories, like households do. The goal is to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, improve recycling efficiency, and help businesses contribute to a more sustainable future.
This new law is part of the Environment Act 2021, which sets out a range of measures to improve waste management and protect the environment. The Act aims to ensure that businesses and organisations play their part in reducing landfill waste, increasing recycling rates, and making resource use more efficient.
Who Does This Affect?
From March 31st, 2025: All businesses with 10 or more full-time employees must separate their waste into designated streams.
From March 31st, 2027: Micro-businesses (those with fewer than 10 employees) must also comply.
What Waste Needs to Be Separated?
Dry recyclable materials: These include glass, metal, plastic, paper, and cards. They must be placed in clearly marked recycling bins and kept separate from other waste. Recycling collection services will collect and process these materials to be reused in manufacturing new products.
Food waste: Businesses that produce food waste, such as restaurants, cafes, or catering companies, must ensure it is collected separately in food waste bins. This waste will be sent for composting or anaerobic digestion, turning it into biogas and fertiliser.
Residual (black bin) waste: Any waste that cannot be recycled should be disposed of in general waste bins. This waste is typically sent to landfills or incineration plants.
Plastic film and plastic bags (from 2027): Soft plastics, such as carrier bags and packaging film, must be placed in designated soft plastic recycling bins. These materials will then be processed to create new plastic products.
Why Must Businesses Adapt to the New Rules?
The UK government aims to simplify the recycling process, making it more consistent across the country and ensuring that more waste is recycled correctly. By implementing a standardised approach, businesses can contribute to reducing environmental impact while helping the UK meet its sustainability goals.
How Can Businesses Prepare?
-
Assess Your Current Waste System: Review how your waste is managed and identify areas needing changes.
Introduce Clear Waste Separation Bins: Label bins properly to encourage correct disposal. We offer a range of recycling bins to help businesses comply with these new regulations and simplify the transition.
Work with Your Waste Collector: Ensure your waste collection provider is equipped to handle the new waste separation system.
-
Educate Your Staff: Train employees on the new regulations to avoid non-compliance.
What Happens If You Don’t Comply?
Failure to follow the new rules could lead to penalties and enforcement actions. If businesses fail to separate their waste correctly, they could face fines and additional waste management costs. Taking proactive steps now will prevent unnecessary financial penalties and operational disruptions.
The new Simpler Recycling law is a significant step towards a greener, more sustainable future. Currently, the UK generates over 14 million tonnes of landfill waste each year—this law aims to cut that significantly by ensuring more businesses recycle properly. While the changes may require some initial adjustments, they will ultimately lead to more efficient recycling processes and reduced environmental impact.
To make compliance easier, we offer a range of recycling bins designed to help businesses sort their waste effectively and stay ahead of the deadline.
Don’t wait until the last minute—start preparing today!