Environment Act 2021 Legislation
What is it?
The Environment Act 2021 (also known as Simpler Recycling) will be introduced in England from 1 April 2025 to standardise household and business waste management. This includes refuse (residual waste) and recycling collections.
The aim is to increase recycling rates by:
- Standardising what is collected for recycling
- Separating recyclable waste from non-recyclable waste to ensure minimal waste is sent to landfill or incineration
- Reducing contamination within recycling streams
What does this mean for you (and your business)?
Most businesses will be required to separate non-recyclable waste and recyclable waste, meaning that you will not be able to use one refuse/ general waste bin for all waste.
If you have 10 or more FTE employees, from 31 March 2025 you will need to separate all recyclable materials into the correct waste streams, for their relevant collections.
The following materials will have to be separated under the new legislation:
Dry Mixed Recycling (e.g. metals, plastics)
- Steel and aluminium tins/ cans
- Aluminium foil and food trays (washed and free of food waste)
- Steel and aluminium jars and bottle lids
- Steel and aluminium tubes
- Plastic bottles
- Pots, tubs and trays (washed and free of food waste)
- Plastic film, packaging, and bags (from 2027)
Paper and Cardboard
- Most paper and cardboard.
- Not included are: paper or card with glitter on; laminated paper; stickers and sticky paper; padded lined envelopes; paperback and hardback books; wallpaper.
- Leftover food
- Tea bags
- Coffee grinds
- Peelings and off-cuts
- Unusable food (passed its best or out of date)
- Biodegradable materials that have resulted from the preparation of food (including bones, eggshells, fruit and vegetable skins etc.)
Glass
- Glass bottles of all colours
- Glass jars of all colours
Businesses with 9 or less Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) employees (classed as micro-firms) are exempt from the new legislation until 31 March 2027. This includes the overall staff employed across all sites within the business. Businesses that fall under this category do not have to arrange collections for dry mixed recyclable materials or food waste.
