From 31st March 2025, UK based businesses with more than 10 employees will need to abide by new recycling legislation or be hit by a fine.  Waste will need to be separated into dry recyclables, food waste and black bin waste.

Dry recyclable waste is classed as:

• Glass – such as drinks bottles and rinsed empty food jars
• 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 is classed as:

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

Black bin waste or residual waste is classed as:

• Absorbent hygiene products such as nappies
• Highly contaminated materials like food packaging that cannot be washed

The Government has introduced these new rules to:

Standardise waste collection: 

By making recycling rules consistent across the country, the government aims to reduce mistakes and increase recycling rates.

Reduce landfill waste:

By reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, the government aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Improve waste management:

The government aims to improve waste management clarity for businesses and local authorities.

Improve public confidence:
Clearer guidelines encourage more people to recycle.

Food leftovers – have you tried our great value, eco-friendly, fully compostable food waste bags? These bags come in 10L, 25L, 35L, 50L, 90L and 240L sizes, ranging from caddy liners to wheelie bin bags.  They are made using only renewable energy (coastal wind & solar) and are EN13432 certified compostable. The cartons and the paper bands are from FSC certified wood resources and the factory that produces them holds ISO9001 Quality Management and ISO14001 Environmental Management certification.

• These completely biodegradable Biobags are ideal for collecting kitchen food waste
• Approved for food waste recycling with most councils
• Made from corn starch – 100% biodegradable and compostable

Black Bin waste – Our eco-friendly refuse sacks are recycled from UK farm waste. These are available in Heavy Duty Black, Medium Duty Black and Compactor size Black.

Dry Recyclables – Our eco-friendly refuse sacks are recycled from UK farm waste. These are available in Medium Duty Clear and Green, and Compactor size Clear.

Recycling Bins – If you’re needing some extra bins to comply with the new laws, we can source them for you.  Just provide us with a Nisbets code we will try to beat it by 10 – 20%. Contact us for more details.

For more detail as to how this new legislation might affect you, Gov.uk have provided the following information. 

If you have any questions about recycling or about any of the products mentioned, then please contact us, we’re always happy to help.

Other blogs featuring recycling :

Green Your Kitchen: Top Eco-Friendly Tips for Restaurant Owners