New rules on how workplaces in England sort their recycling and waste have now come into force, ending confusion over what goes where and enabling consistent, more streamlined collections. 

The measures as part of the Government’s Simpler Recycling plans will boost flatlining recycling rates, reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill or for incineration, and deliver cost savings for some businesses, while replacing previous legislation which could have required them to have up to six bins.  

From Monday, 31 March, workplaces with 10 or more employees will need to arrange for the collection of the following:  

• dry recyclable materials – including plastic, metal, glass, and paper and card 

• food waste  

• residual (non-recyclable) waste

Workplaces will need to separate paper and card from the other dry recyclables unless their waste collector collects them together. They will also have the freedom to decide on the size of containers and frequency of collections based on the volume of waste they produce.   

This is a sensible, pragmatic approach to the collection of materials for the businesses and other premises in scope, which include residential homes, universities and schools, and hospitals or nursing homes.   

Simplifying the approach will mean more high-quality recycled material can be sourced domestically, which can then be used by manufacturers to make new products as part of the transition to a more circular economy.  

This will reduce carbon emissions, cut environmental and societal impacts from waste disposal, and support growth of the UK reprocessing industry. 

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