Why you need to recycle and what to recycle

New regulations will soon require your business to separate recyclable materials from your general waste, and in this guide we’ll explain what to do to prepare. You have until 31 March 2025 if you have ten or more full-time employees (or equivalent), and until 31 March 2027 if you have fewer than ten.   

You’ll need to separate the following recyclable materials for recycling:  

• Glass, such as drinks bottles and rinsed empty food jars  

• Metal, such as drinks cans and food tins, empty aerosols, aluminium foil, aluminium food trays and tubes 

• Plastic, such as rinsed empty food containers and bottles  

• Paper, such as old newspapers and envelopes  

• Cardboard, such as delivery boxes and packaging  

• Food leftovers or waste generated by food preparation  

Good to know Keep in mind that all businesses produce some food waste. The Government hasn't set a minimum food waste weight before the new legislation applies, so it’s likely that this guidance will be relevant to your workplace.

You will need to separate paper and card from other dry recyclables (plastic, metal and glass), unless your waste collector collects them together. Waste collectors may also choose to collect other dry recyclable materials separately, like glass. You should discuss how your dry recyclable waste will be collected with your chosen waste collector.

Cartons for food, drink and other liquids, including aseptic and chilled cartons, should be collected alongside plastics.

​​​It will be important to make sure you separate out the right materials and avoid contamination by any non-recyclable materials.

Remember the new regulations only apply to household-like waste produced by workplaces, that is waste that is usually found at home and routinely collected from the kerbside. Therefore the requirements do not include industrial waste such as scrap metal or hazardous wastes. These should always be disposed of responsibly.

 Good to know

Where you are arranging waste collection services as part of the management of a facility, you are required to produce a waste transfer note. In most cases, your waste collector will produce this for you. You should check this carefully to ensure that the description of the waste being collected is accurate. None of the separated materials can be sent by your waste collector to landfill or incineration. You could consider asking your waste collector for regular evidence of the final processing destinations of your segregated materials. 

All workplaces must correctly present recyclable materials separately for collection by their chosen waste collector. Whether you own, rent, or lease your premises, it still applies. 

Recycling may help you reduce the costs of managing waste for the users of your facilities, your clients, whilst ensuring that you are following the new regulations and helping the environment.