New Waste Legislation 2025: Is Your Business Ready?

The new UK Waste Legislation, comes into effect on March 31, 2025 for businesses  making it mandatory to separate food waste for collection and recycling as part of the UK’s effort to improve sustainability and reduce landfill use.

What does that mean for you?

Effective from 31st March 2025, the new UK Waste Legislation mandates that businesses and relevant non-domestic premises in England will need to arrange for the collection of the core recyclable waste streams, with the exception of garden waste (glass, metal, plastic, paper and card, and food waste).

The mandatory waste categories include:

• Glass, metal, plastics, paper, and cardboard – These should be collected separately from general waste
• Food waste – This means food scraps can no longer be disposed of in the same bin as other waste. Instead, food waste must be collected separately and managed by authorised waste carriers
• Residual waste - All remaining waste that cannot be recycled must be disposed of separately  

Who is affected by the new legislation?

All business with over 10 full-time employees will need to follow these new rules. Micro-firms with under 10 full-time employees will be exempt for the time being. This includes the following:

• Hospitality and catering – Restaurants, cafés, hotels, and takeaways
• Retailers – Supermarkets, grocery stores, and corner shops
• Education providers – Schools, colleges, and universities with food services
• Healthcare – Hospitals and GP surgeries
• Workplaces – Offices with staff kitchens or canteens

How to prepare:

• Review your current waste practices - you may already meet the requirements 
• Introduce food waste bins - makes sure these are easily accessible in kitchens and canteens
• Choose a compliant waste carrier - use the gov.uk website to find an approved waste collector 
• Educate your team - make sure your team are involved and follow the correct protocal 

Do I need colour coded bins?

While there is no strict national law in the UK requiring businesses to colour-code their recycling bins, it is highly recommended to do so to ensure proper waste separation and encourage recycling, with most councils and businesses adopting a colour-coding system to differentiate different recycling streams like paper, plastic, glass, and cans; meaning you should essentially colour-code your recycling bins as a UK business to best practice standards. 

Future Timelines

• By 31 March 2025, businesses and relevant non-domestic premises in England will need to arrange for the collection of the core recyclable waste streams, with the exception of garden waste (glass, metal, plastic, paper and card, and food waste)
• Micro-firms (businesses with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees) will be temporarily exempt from this requirement. They will have until 31 March 2027 to arrange for recycling of core recyclable waste streams
• By 31 March 2026, local authorities will be required to collect the core recyclable waste streams from all households in England. This includes introducing weekly food waste collections for most homes, unless a transitional arrangement applies
• By 31 March 2027, kerbside plastic film collections from businesses and relevant non-domestic premises, and households will be introduced