The way businesses and households manage recycling is changing, with new government legislation coming into effect that will standardise recycling collections across the UK.

As previously reported, these changes aim to remove inconsistencies in recycling schemes and help the UK reach its 65% recycling target by 2035.

With the introduction of Simpler Recycling, businesses must now adapt their waste management practices to remain compliant. Below, we outline the latest updates to the framework and what they mean for businesses, especially those operating within multi-occupancy buildings like Perseverance Works and Printing House Yard.

What is Simpler Recycling?

Simpler Recycling is a UK-wide legal framework designed to create a uniform approach to recycling collections. From 31st March 2025, businesses with 10 or more full-time employees will be required to sort their waste into separate streams. For businesses with fewer than 10 employees, compliance will be required by March 2027.

The mandatory recycling categories include:

• Food Waste – All businesses must have a dedicated food waste recycling system
• Glass – Businesses producing glass must have a separate glass collection
• Paper & Card – Must be collected separately from mixed recycling
• Mixed Recycling – Rigid plastics, metal (cans), and now cartons
• Flexible Plastics – Will become mandatory from March 2027

How This Affects Businesses in Multi-Tenanted Buildings

For businesses within Perseverance Works, PHY and other multi-occupancy spaces, compliance is the responsibility of individual businesses. Each tenant must ensure they have dedicated bins for:

• Mixed recycling
• Paper and card
• Food waste
• Glass (if applicable)

To make this transition easier, businesses should coordinate with building management and waste collection services to ensure appropriate bin placements and collection schedules.

New Requirements for Food Waste Recycling

From March 2025, all businesses must recycle their food waste. For those with small waste volumes, bin exchange services will be available, ensuring collected bins are replaced with clean, washed bins. Businesses that fail to comply may face penalties, so it is advisable to prepare ahead of time.

Glass Recycling – A Separate Waste Stream

If your business produces glass waste, you must have a separate glass collection system. Recorra, a leading recycling provider, is offering crate and bin-based collections to ensure compliance. Glass should be placed directly into designated bins—plastic sacks are not permitted for safety reasons.

Flexible Plastics: The Next Step (From March 2027)

While not mandatory until 2027, businesses are encouraged to start planning for flexible plastics recycling. These include items like:

• Snack wrappers
• Cling film
• Plastic toiletries
• Coffee pods

Recorra’s Circular Box service is a recommended solution, providing businesses with a designated container for collecting these harder-to-recycle materials.

Steps to Get Your Workplace Ready

To ensure compliance by March 2025, businesses should:

• Review their current waste management setup – Identify gaps in compliance
• Set up separate bins for each waste stream
• Train employees on correct waste sorting using posters and educational resources
• Coordinate with waste collectors to ensure proper pickups and avoid contamination
• Plan ahead for 2027 – Start exploring flexible plastic recycling solutions now

For businesses needing assistance, downloadable posters and training videos are available to help staff adapt to the new regulations.

A More Sustainable Future

These upcoming changes present an opportunity for businesses to improve their sustainability practices while ensuring compliance with government legislation. At Perseverance Works, we encourage all businesses to take the necessary steps now to avoid last-minute disruptions.

By adapting to these changes, businesses not only contribute to environmental sustainability but also benefit from more efficient waste management solutions. Let’s work together to make recycling simpler and more effective for everyone!

For more in-depth information on the new changes, download the Simpler Recycling guide.