Simpler Recycling 2025 | Business Waste Collection & Compliance UK

What Is "Simpler Recycling in the Workplace"?
Simpler Recycling is part of the UK Government’s reforms to standardise recycling rules, reduce confusion, and boost recycling rates across England.
For workplaces (businesses and other non-domestic premises), the scheme introduces mandatory separation of waste streams — ensuring that dry recyclables, food waste, and residual (non-recyclable) waste are collected separately.
It replaces complex and inconsistent local rules, aiming to make recycling simpler, more consistent, and less costly, while preserving the quality of recyclable materials.
As a business, you have a legal Duty of Care to ensure that the waste your organisation generates is produced, stored, transported, and disposed of responsibly. The new legislation strengthens this obligation by making business recycling a legal requirement.
At its core, the law requires you to separate your waste before collection — with particular focus on dividing the “dry recycling” category into specific streams.

What Waste Must Be Separated?

Dry Recycling Categories

• Glass
  • Glass packaging
  • Bottles and jars
• Metal
  • Steel and aluminium tins and cans
  • Steel and aluminium aerosols
  • Aluminium foil and food trays
  • Steel and aluminium jar and bottle lids
  • Aluminium tubes
• Plastic
  • Plastic bottles, pots, tubs, and trays
  • Cartons for food, drink, and other liquids (aseptic and chilled)
  • Plastic film packaging and plastic bags
• Paper and Card
  • Most types of paper and cardboard, with a few exceptions (see below).

Exceptions: Do Not Include in Paper and Card Recycling

• Paper and card containing glitter or foil
• Laminated paper
• Stickers and sticky paper
• Padded/lined envelopes
• Wallpaper
• Paperback and hardback books

What About Books?
Recycling books is not as straightforward as it might seem.

• Donation / Upcycling: Wherever possible, donate books to charity shops, local libraries, or community “mini libraries” (such as converted telephone kiosks).
• Hardback Books: These are difficult to recycle due to glue, string, and mixed materials (plastic, cloth, chemicals). The spine and covers must be removed before pulping.
• Paper Content: Even book paper contains inks, coatings, and chemicals, which can complicate recycling.
• Check Facilities: Ask your waste collection provider if their recycling plants can process books, particularly paperbacks.

Alternative Paper Sources and Sustainability
Paper is no longer made solely from trees. Increasingly, “tree-free” materials are used, reducing reliance on virgin timber:

• Bamboo
• Cotton lint (a by-product of textile manufacturing, used in high-quality papers)
• Hemp (requires less water than wood pulp)
• Sugarcane waste (bagasse) — once burned in fields, now used for sustainable paper production

The main ingredient of paper is cellulose. Extracting cellulose from agricultural waste reduces deforestation and promotes circular use of resources.

How Many Waste Containers Does My Business Need?

• Paper and Card must be kept separate from plastics, metals, and glass.
• Depending on your collector, volume, and storage space, plastics, metals, and glass may be combined in one container.
• Food waste must always be separated from all other streams.
• Residual waste (“black bins”) are for materials that cannot be recycled, reused, repaired, or donated — such as polystyrene packaging, tissues, and kitchen roll.

Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste comes in many forms, including:

• Batteries
• Toner cartridges
• Cleaning chemicals
• Oils and paints
• Contaminated liquids
• Light bulbs

These must be classified and stored safely according to their properties:

• Flammables in fire-resistant containers
• Corrosives in chemically resistant containers
• All hazardous waste securely labelled, segregated, and stored under UK waste regulations

WEEE Waste (Electrical and Electronic Equipment)
Most workplaces accumulate electronic waste such as:

• Computers, phones, and printers
• Scanners and broken screens
• Outdated or incompatible equipment

Key considerations:

• Data Security: Ensure that all data on hard drives or storage devices is completely destroyed before recycling.
• Material Recovery: Valuable materials — metals, plastics, copper, and circuit components — can be recovered and reused in manufacturing new devices.
• Obsolescence: With Windows 10 being phased out, millions of devices will become redundant. Recycling prevents unnecessary environmental impact.

Business Benefits of Recycling
Effective recycling programmes, especially with staff engagement, reduce overall waste and increase recycling rates. Benefits include:
Cost Reductions

• Avoidance of Landfill Tax: From 1 April 2025, landfill disposal is taxed at £126.15/tonne for active waste. Recycling avoids this charge.
• Lower Disposal Charges: Landfill, incineration, and residual processing often cost more than recycling, due to higher gate fees and transport costs.

Revenue from Recyclables: Clean, sorted recyclables (paper, cardboard, metals) can often be sold or credited by waste management companies. Some may even pay for high-quality materials.
Reduced Volume: Recycling compacts and streamlines waste, leading to fewer collections and reduced transport costs.

Other Advantages

• Predictable Costs: Waste carriers often charge less for regular, uncontaminated recycling streams.
• Compliance: Proper waste management reduces the risk of fines and legal penalties.
• Reputation: Strong environmental credentials improve brand image and may help win tenders.

Caveats & Key Considerations

• Local Variation: Costs differ by region, contractor, and volume.
• Contamination: If recyclables are contaminated (e.g. food waste on packaging), they may be rejected or incur extra charges.
• Minimum Volumes: Some contracts require minimum quantities for collection.
• Market Fluctuations: The value of recyclables can change, affecting rebates.
• Fixed Costs: Bin rental, storage, or staff time may offset savings for very small businesses.

RCS Recycling is an Environment Agency registered waste carrier, broker, and dealer (Top Tier). We provide reliable business waste collection and recycling services across 30+ UK counties. Contact us today to ensure your workplace is fully compliant by March 2025.