New UK Waste Regulations: What Businesses Need to Know
Starting 31 March 2025, all businesses and non-domestic premises in England will be legally required to separate and manage their waste more effectively. These new waste regulations aim to boost recycling and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, supporting the nation’s transition to a circular economy and helping to protect the environment. For businesses, this means potential changes to waste disposal practices that could affect operations and costs. Here’s everything you need to know and how you can stay compliant.
Recap of the new waste rules:
From 31 March 2025, new waste regulations under the Environment Act 2021, known as Simpler Recycling, will come into effect. Under these regulations, businesses must separate the following types of waste for collection:
Dry recyclables: Paper and cardboard (e.g., envelopes, delivery boxes, packaging).
Other dry recyclables: Plastic, metal, and glass (e.g., drinks bottles, drinks cans, food containers, empty aerosols).
Food waste: Leftovers or waste generated from food preparation (even if the business doesn’t serve food).
Black bin waste (residual waste): Non-recyclable waste, including contaminated packaging and hygiene products.
If your workplace generates garden waste, it must be recycled or composted, depending on the best environmental outcome.
Furthermore, Simpler Recycling enforces the waste hierarchy, requiring businesses to take all reasonable steps to prevent, reuse, recycle or recover waste (in that order).
Who needs to comply?
These rules apply to any business or workplace that generates waste similar to household waste. This includes but is not limited to:
Offices
Retail and wholesale
Transport and storage
Hospitality – cafes, restaurants, hotels
Places of education
Healthcare places
Charities
Places of worship
Penal institutes
Residential hostels that provide accommodation to people with no other permanent address or who are unable to live at their permanent address only
Premises used only or mainly for public meetings
Micro-businesses, defined as workplaces with less than 10 full-time employees across all business locations, are exempt from this new regulation until 31 March 2027.
How to comply:
Businesses must ensure they meet the new recycling requirements by taking the following steps:
Assess current waste practice: Evaluate your current waste practices and identify any gaps that need addressing to effectively comply with the regulations.
Staff awareness: Train and educate your staff to ensure they understand and effectively implement the new waste separation processes.
Waste tracking: Implementing waste tracking practices will improve data on waste management and ensure you can meet reporting requirements.
Coordinate with waste collectors: Ensure your waste management provider is a licensed waste collector and can provide separate collection of waste as required. Ensure also that the waste collector sends any dry recyclables for recycling, and any residual waste is managed appropriately.
Failure to comply with the new waste rules could result in a compliance notice from the Environment Agency, with potential enforcement action taken against you in line with the Environment Agency Enforcement and Sanctions Policy.
Why this matters:
The legislation is part of a wider effort to reduce waste and promote sustainable practices across industries, reflecting England’s growing commitment to achieving a circular economy. Widespread implementation of circular economy principles, namely reducing, reusing, recycling and repurposing materials, help minimise waste and conserve resources, ultimately minimising environmental impact. The new waste regulations are designed to accelerate this transition to a circular economy, requiring businesses to actively participate in the sustainable cycle. Although compliance is mandatory, businesses stand to benefit in several ways, including:
Lower operational costs through improved waste management efficiency,
Enhanced environmental responsibility and opportunity to lead on these initiatives, boosting reputation with customers and stakeholders,
Supporting the UK's goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
These new waste regulations, effective from today, are more than just a legal requirement—they are an opportunity for your business to contribute to a more sustainable future, reduce waste, and improve your environmental credentials. If you are looking to expand your sustainability strategy beyond waste and regulatory compliance, contact our sustainability experts at info@orbisadvisory.com to learn more about how we can support you.
