On the 31st of March 2025, laws regarding dry recycling and food waste are changing. Businesses will soon be required by law to separate their dry recycling and their food waste from their general waste. This is a part of the UK government's larger plan to reduce the environmental impact of the commercial sector and to promote sustainability. In this article we will go through the main points of the incoming legislation and give you tips to prepare your business for the law changes.
What is the new legislation and what are its requirements?
According to the Environment Act 2021, the new rules will require businesses of 10 or more employees, who are producing more than 5kg of food waste to arrange for its separate collection by a licensed waste carrier. For this law, food waste is defined to include a wide range of biodegradable materials such as fruit and vegetable peels, bones, eggshells, coffee grounds, and tea bags. The new legislation will also require dry waste to be separated from the general waste.
The requirements of the new laws are that businesses will have to segregate a variety of new materials for recycling. The new materials are glass (such as empty drink bottles and rinsed food jars), metal (including cans, tins, foil, trays and tubes), plastic containers and bottles, paper/cardboard, cartons and food waste. All these materials must be kept separate from general waste to ensure they are not contaminated by non-recyclable waste to make them easier to recycle.
Who does the new legislation affect?
The legislation specifically applies to all “relevant non-domestic premises located in the area of an English waste collection authority”. In simple terms, this means that any business with 10 or more people will be required to have separate collections for both recycling and food waste in place by the end of March 2025. This includes public and third-sector organisations like schools, hospitals, and prisons. The upcoming legislation changes will affect a wide range of sectors, including restaurants, cafes, pubs, bakeries, care homes, offices, and transport hubs. With this in mind, it is a good idea for any business, small or large, to begin separating recyclable materials and food waste to help reduce costs and contribute to environmental sustainability.
Why are we introducing this new legislation?
In the UK 9.5 million tonnes of food waste is discarded annually, with a significant amount of it ending up in landfills. By not recycling this waste properly we are contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Recyclable materials like these are often disposed of improperly, with the waste adding to landfill and causing further environmental damage. This is the main reason for the new legislation, to help address these issues but more specifically in the commercial sector, which is why the legislation focuses on businesses and how they separate recycling and food waste. This new legislation is an important step in the UK’s goal to reduce food waste by 50% per capita by 2030 in comparison to 2007.
How to prepare:
Not everyone will have to prepare for these new changes, but if your business produces more than 5kg of food waste per week and has more than ten employees then it is a good idea to start preparing for the upcoming law changes. One of the best ways to prepare is to begin reducing your food waste wherever possible by avoiding letting food items being left to rot. This can be done in multiple ways such as being mindful of expiration dates and preserving food properly. It’s also a good idea to begin separating your waste early to help you and your staff to get into the habit before the law is in place. Along with this, it is important to make sure your staff are aware of what can and can’t be recycled in a food bin or in dry recycling. This being said, if you begin separating your waste before the changes come in, you will have to make suitable arrangements with a waste management expert to properly dispose of your waste.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the government are taking an important step forward in reducing waste in the commercial sector and subsequently reducing the environmental impact of the sector starting in March 2025. We all have an important part to play in following this new legislation, so hopefully this article has helped you prepare. If you need help to further prepare, you can find a range of waste disposal equipment and much more in our new catalogue, or you can call our expert team for help at 01204 590 232.