Workplace Recycling Regs

From 31 March 2025 (or 31 March 2027 for micro-firms), all workplaces (businesses and non-domestic premises) in England have a legal duty to present the following wastes separated in accordance with the arrangements with their waste collector: 

• dry recyclable materials - plastic, metal, glass, paper and card (more information on separating recyclable material is in the ‘Separating recyclable waste’ section) 
• food waste 
• black bin waste (residual waste) 

Workplaces that generate garden waste have a legal duty to manage it in accordance with the waste hierarchy and arrange for it to be recycled or composted if it delivers the best environmental outcome. 

Workplaces can decide on the size of containers and frequency of collections based on the volume of waste they produce. You do not need to provide bins for your customers, however, if you provide bins, you will need to separate dry recyclable waste, food waste and black bin waste. 

Workplaces that must follow these rules 

Any business or workplace premises that generates waste that is similar in nature and composition to household waste must follow these rules across their operations (including for example, staff kitchens). This includes all relevant non-domestic premises, such as:

• offices 
• retail and wholesale 
• transport and storage 
• hospitality, such as cafes, restaurants, and hotels 
• places of education, such as schools, colleges, and universities 
• healthcare places, such as GP surgeries and hospitals 
• care homes 
• charities and those registered as charities 
• places of worship 
• penal institutes 
• charity shops selling donated goods that came from a domestic property 
• residential hostels that provide accommodation to people with no other permanent address or who are unable to live at their permanent address only 
• premises used only or mainly for public meetings 



This is not a complete list and there are others. If you are unsure if the rules apply to your business, you can check the legislation. 

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