New legislation aimed at increasing recycling rates and reducing waste disposal will come into force in March 2025.
The ‘Simpler Recycling’ programme aims to make recycling more straightforward for every home and business in England, eliminating confusion over what can be recycled and ensuring people can recycle the same materials whether they are at home, work, or school.
Businesses and organisations with ten or more full-time employees (FTE) will need to separate their refuse, dry mixed recyclables, and food waste into different containers by 31 March 2025. For businesses with fewer than 10 FTEs (micro-firms), the deadline will be 31 March 2027.
It means that all non-household municipal premises in England, including businesses, schools, and hospitals, will need to recycle their waste from next March. These premises must separate recyclable materials and food waste from their refuse and organise separate bin collections for refuse, recycling, and food waste.
Multi-branch enterprises, such as BCP Council that employ over 10 FTE across multiple units are not considered a micro-firm and must comply by 31 March 2025.
You can find more information here: Business of Recycling | WRAP and Changes to Commercial waste collections | BCP.