Still throwing your food waste in the general bin at work?
Don’t forget, from 31 March 2025, most businesses, charities, schools, churches and other non-residential premises will have to separate their food waste from dry recycling and general waste. They will also have to arrange a separate collection for food waste, dry recyclables and residual waste. It’s all included in the new recycling waste law.
This will apply to any organisation with 10 or more employees which generates at least 5kg of food waste a week. Smaller organisations will have to comply from 2027.
So, what can you do to prepare? Three simple steps. Much of it comes down to communications.
Reduce food waste
If you don’t create the waste, you won’t need to dispose of it.
You can engage staff through simple communications to remind them not to let food rot, check sell-by dates and store fresh food correctly.
Money you don’t spend on waste is money you have available for investment elsewhere
Sort and store waste safely
Clearly labelled, covered containers are key. Illustrations and colour coding reinforce consistency and clarity, while maximising accessibility.
WRAP, the arms-length recycling body, has produced a series of material specific posters for your bins. These are recognised nationally. The most important thing is to use the best material for your staff and customers.
Your staff will have got used to disposing of their waste one way, so you will need to work with them to form new habits. Do they respond well to incentives? Involve staff in the discussions about how to put the new law into practice; those habits will come faster if you do.
Work with your waste carrier
It’s vital that waste is collected and recycled legally. Your current waste carrier is the first port of call. If they can’t handle food waste, plenty of others are available. Your local authority can help.
The government call this recycling waste law Simpler Recycling. It’s all part of a comprehensive plan to simplify and grow the amount we recycle as a nation and ties in with changes to residential collections too.
Good employee engagement and internal communication will go a long way to ensuring that simpler recycling means better recycling.