Simpler Recycling legislation aims to create consistency in the waste and recycling materials collected from households and businesses. This will come into force for all businesses with 10 or more employees from 31st March 2025. Your business will need to:
The government’s guidance states that businesses should, by default, separate paper and card from mixed recycling where practicable.
However, the government accepts that this is not possible for every business, and accept it may not be technically, environmentally or economically possible in many instances.
We understand that managing multiple bins for different materials isn’t always practical. Therefore, for those customers who wish to continue placing paper and card in their mixed recycling, we’ve completed an assessment on your behalf. We’ll sort these materials at our state-of-the-art Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
Recorra’s commercial waste services can help you get Simpler Recycling ready. We can collect in bins or sacks to suit your business’ needs. Explore our food, glass, mixed recycling, paper and cardboard services today.
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Step 1 – Review your recycling services
Businesses should ensure that their recycling service has collections for food, glass, and dry-mixed recycling. They should also review their waste processes in general to identify any areas that need adjustment.
Step 2 – Check your binfrastructure
Ensure that you have the necessary number of bins, signage, and infrastructure that supports recycling efforts.
Step 3 – Educate your staff
Make sure employees are aware of ‘Simpler Recycling’ reforms and train them to follow the new guidelines, particularly the importance of food waste collections.
31st March 2025
Businesses with 10 or more employees will need to comply. This includes businesses with multiple premises as long as the cumulative number of employees reaches or exceeds 10. From 31st March 2025 core recycling, including food waste, must be collected from large and small businesses and non-household municipal premises.
31st March 2026
From 31st March 2026 local authorities have to core recycling collections for households.
31st March 2027
From 31st March 2027 businesses with fewer than 10 employees will have to be compliant and plastic film has to be included in the plastic waste stream.
Around 30% of the mixed recycling we collect is contaminated with food waste! Most customers already have food waste services but it’s time to ensure your business gets food out of mixed recycling.
From April it will be mandatory to segregate food waste – but this is only half the mission. At Recorra we want to empower our customers to achieve real recycling and keep food out of recycling.
The governments guidance states businesses should by default have separate paper and card from mixed recycling, where practicable.
However, the government accepts that this is not possible for every business, and accept it may not be technically, environmentally or economically possible in many instances.
Thanks to our state-of-the-art MRF, our customers who wish not to separate paper and card can continue to recycle these materials in their Mixed Recycling. We have completed the necessary TEEP (technically, environmentally or economically practicable) assessments on these businesses behalf.
If you as a customer would like a copy of this TEEP assessment for your own records, simply contact our helpdesk.
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The goal of the reforms is to eliminate confusion over recyclables and ensure standardise recycling practices across England. It is also being introduced to cut down on waste crime.
As of January 2025, parliament is still discussing the consequences of non-compliance, but financial penalties are likely.
Simpler Recycling ensures that general waste is collected every two weeks alongside the weekly food waste and recycling collections.
Dry-mixed recycling can be paper & cardboard, plastic, and metal.
What are the changes to waste legislation 2024? What are the new regulations for recycling? Do you legally have to recycle in the UK? What is the UK policy on waste? What is the UK legislation for food waste?
How Recorra helps businesses stay compliant and reduce food waste
Why are flexible plastics hard to recycle? Are plastic bags flexible plastic? Which plastic cannot be recycled? Is flexible plastic packaging recyclable?
