Recycling Made SIMPLER

Did you know? New legislation incoming!

In October 2023, the UK Government introduced the new Simpler Recycling legislation. All non-household municipal premises in England must implement separate food waste and recycling collections by the end of March 2025. This new regulation aims to clear up confusion over recyclable and non-recyclable materials and standardize recycling practices for homes, workplaces, and schools. This will help to reduce landfill waste and tackle illegal waste activities, promoting a more sustainable and environmentally conscious society.

What benefits will this bring?

These reforms aim to improve England’s recycling system, reduce carbon emissions, and boost the economy. By clarifying recyclable materials for businesses and households, these legislations will eliminate confusion about recycling practices nationwide.

In addition, the Government intends that this “Will also support the effective regulation of waste, transforming the way environmental regulators monitor compliance, prioritise regulatory activities and help prevent waste crime, including flytipping, deliberate misclassification of waste, illegal waste exports and the operation of illegal waste sites.”

Who will Simpler Recycling affect?

Everyone in England will be affected by Simpler Recycling, but the timeline for businesses and households is different. To see the specific dates you’ll need to be prepared by, please continue reading

What kind of businesses will be affected and when?

Starting from March 2025, businesses with 10 employees or more must separate plastic, paper and card, glass, metals (cans, tins, and foil), and food waste from general waste, saving valuable resources from going to waste. Businesses with fewer than 10 employees, on the other hand, have time until March 2027 to comply (please note this remains subject to legislative confirmation).

Local authorities will also be required to comply with the new Simpler Recycling reforms for waste collected from households from March 2026, providing more consistent recycling and waste collection services, including weekly food waste collections.

What does this mean for your business?

Under the legislation, it is your responsibility to segregate and recycle ALL required materials. By the 31st of March 2025, your business must segregate the following materials into appropriate containers to enable the recycling of valuable resources. These are:

• Dry Mixed Recycling – Paper and cardboard, cartons, metal (cans, tins, and foil), plastic
• Food waste – all food intended for human or household pet consumption and biodegradable material resulting from the processing or preparation of food (bones, eggshells, fruit and vegetable skins, tea bags, and coffee grounds)
• General Waste
• WEEE Waste

By the 31st of March 2027, recyclable plastic films must be separated also.

Please note that biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging materials are not collected within any of the above categories. Speak to your local account manager for more information on how to recycle these items or place them in your general waste containers.

Beauparc is here to help you overcome these changes and arrange any additional bin deliveries required to ensure you’re compliant with the new regulations. Email us at simplerrecycling@beauparc.co.uk for more information.