Workplace waste is changing

If you are a business with 10 or more full-time or equivalent employees, from 31st March 2025 you can no longer put all rubbish into your general waste bin. You’ll need to start separating recyclable materials, including food waste, from general waste.

How is this calculated?
All workplaces (businesses and non-domestic premises) with more than 10 full time employees (calculated on all sites owned by the business and including part-time staff equating to half a person each).

Dry mixed recycling:

• metal - such as drinks cans and rinsed empty food tins, empty aerosols, aluminium foil, aluminium food trays and tubes 

• plastic - such as rinsed empty food containers and bottles 

• paper and cardboard - such as old newspapers, envelopes, delivery boxes and packaging 

 Food waste: loose into food waste bin OR in a clear bag

• food leftovers  

• waste generated by preparing food (of any volume, including if the workplace does not serve food or have a canteen)  

 Glass:

• glass bottles

• glass jars

 General waste:

• anything that does not fit into the other categories

• 10 or more full-time equivalent staff: 31st March 2025.

• Less than 10 full-time equivalent staff: 31st March 2027.

For example:

Business A has 3 sites with 3 full-time equivalents at each site = 9 staff - must start segregating waste by 31st March 2027.

Business B has 1 site with 10 full-time equivalents = 10 staff - must start segregating waste by 31st March 2025.

 Business C has 12 sites with 1 full-time equivalent at each site = 12 staff - must start segregating waste by 31st March 2025.

Understand the waste your site produces

Do a trial segregation of your waste for a week to quantify the volumes you generate (by weight, bin bags or photos). Send us the results and we’ll advise which bins you need.

This proactive approach will ensure your business is compliant in time and avoid incurring fines for contaminated waste.

Other ways to make waste disposal more accurate

1. Segregate internal bins - sort waste correctly inside your premises to reduce risk of contamination in your bins and avoid failed collections due to contamination.

2. Make sure all bins are clearly labelled.

3. Ensure the bins inside your premises match those outside.

4. Place bins where each type of waste is produced.

5. Clearly communicate changes to all employees – their compliance is key to your compliance.

How else can your AF General Inputs Team help?

• New waste disposal contracts for additional waste stream bins

• Internal bins

• Signage

• Clear bags for food waste

• Black bags for general waste

If food waste and recyclable materials are not separated into specific bins, they’re considered contaminated and can’t be collected. If this happens, you’ll still be charged for the failed collection.

If a business is found to be continually non-compliant, they may be issued a Compliance Notice by the Environment Agency and eventually be liable for fines or prosecution.

Bins containing food waste and recyclable materials that are not separated into the specified separate bins. Under Simpler Recycling legislation your waste provider may not accept contaminated bins, which can lead to additional costs and risk of prosecution by the Environment Agency.

However, as experts in sustainable waste management, our AF waste providers will work with you to identify where and when contamination is happening and provide guidance on how to avoid it.