With only just under 70 days to go until the government’s new Simpler Recycling reforms come in, recycling company Business Waste says many companies aren’t prepared for – or even aware of - the changes.
The company sent out communications to over 15,000 customers to make them aware of Defra’s upcoming reforms, but response data suggests only 1% are aware of the new laws. In an online poll conducted by Convenience Store, only 33% of respondents said they were ware of the upcoming changes.
Mark Hall, an expert at the company, has just shared everything retail businesses need to know ahead of the rules coming into force on 31 March this year.
Which business are affected?
The new rules affect any business with 10 or more full-time employees. Businesses that fit this category must arrange separate collections of food waste, paper and cardboard (combined) and other dry recycling (glass, plastic, and metals, which can also be combined).
It means businesses can no longer throw any of these materials away with their genera l waste. The rules apply to businesses regardless of how many employees are on-site at once. For example, if you have two locations with five full-time employees at each, you must still comply with the regulations.
What do businesses need to do?
Businesses must arrange separate collections of all food waste, paper and cardboard, and dry recycling (glass, plastic, and metals) they produce by licensed waste carriers. All businesses, schools, hospitals, and other ‘non-household municipal premises in England’ should have separate bins to store these three waste streams.
Using commercial waste collection services and licensed waste carriers should ensure compliance with the new plans. You can use separate bins for each recycling stream or use dry mixed recycling bins to combine plastic and metals for ease (such as food packaging). Paper and card must be collected separately from other dry recyclables.
Which rules apply to food waste?
The new law means most businesses will have to separate food waste from other streams. Companies must store waste food in separate bins and arrange for its collection by licensed carriers.
Any business in England producing more than 5kg of food waste per week must arrange separate collections by licensed carriers. This includes biodegradable material waste produced from processing or preparing food – including bones, eggshells, fruit and vegetable remains, tea bags and coffee grounds.
Daniel Redfern, director at waste management specialist Envirovue, believes the new legislation could be seismic for those with a large amount of food waste they had not previously given thought to: “The new rules will force drastic improvements across waste management, both from an environmental and efficiency point of view. For businesses with a variety of streams, separating waste can become complex and time-consuming.
“For companies producing a large amount of waste, it’s useful to implement a tracking system to record how much food waste your business generates and where it goes. It therefore becomes easier to see if too much food is being produced to begin with. It’s also important to consider that organic waste can be of value as it can be used as compost and serve as raw material for anaerobic digestion.
“In order to avoid a fixed penalty notice for not complying with the new legislation, it’s crucial that companies understand the different types and frequency of waste produced. Investing in waste surveys and collecting insightful data is a fantastic tool to identify areas where waste can be reduced and managed through monitoring.”
How can businesses keep costs down?
- Get organised. It’s important to implement any changes your business needs in plenty of time. This way you’ll be able to spot and fix any teething issues as they arise, and before the rules are enforced. A great place to start is to conduct a waste audit to understand how much waste your business produces, what types of waste you generate, and what bins and collections you need.
- Train and educate staff. All staff must understand the new laws and what changes are being made in the business to follow these. Educate staff about the waste you generate and its impact on the environment, so they understand the reasons behind the changes.
- Prevent waste at source. Reducing waste is cheaper and better for the environment than removing it. Look for ways your business could reduce its waste at the source.
- Partner with a broker. A waste broker (such as Business Waste) can help you understand your needs, arrange collection and disposal services, and work with their suppliers to find you the best price.
Business Wste is also offering a regularly updated page with device and developments, available here.
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