The new Simpler Recycling regulations are coming into force at the end of this month. By the 31st of March, you need to have everything ready to implement. This means that your food waste recycling system needs to comply with the new rules laid out. 

If you’re still unsure of what needs to be done, we’ve put together this handy checklist to outline everything you need to know and actions to take before the regulations come into force. 

• Do you know what the regulations are? The government’s new Simpler Recycling regulations state that all businesses, non-domestic properties and public sector organisations must store, process and recycle food waste separately from other streams of waste. This is compulsory if the business or organisation produces more than 5kg of waste per week. Its aim is to standardise and simplify recycling while also minimising the waste that goes to landfill. 

• Do you know when the regulations come into force? The new regulations come into force on the 31st of March 2025 for England. It is worth knowing that Scotland and Wales are already operating under the new rules since 2014 and 2024 respectively. 

• Do you know if you’re affected? If your business or non-domestic site has more than 10 full-time employees, then you must comply with the new regulations. If your business has fewer than 10 full-time employees, you can wait until 2027 to comply. 

• Do you know what your responsibilities are? You must be clear on how waste needs to be stored, handled and processed under the new regulations. This means ensuring you have all the correct bins and that you have made arrangements with licensed waste collectors. You should also understand the implications of not adhering to the regulations, including fines and reputational damage.

• Do you have the right bins and containers in place? You must have separate bins or containers for food waste, general waste that cannot be recycled, dry mixed recycling such as glass, metals and plastics, and then finally paper and card. If you want to put paper and card with glass, metal and plastics, you must complete an assessment. 

• Do you know the benefits? The environmental benefits for sustainability are clear to see as a greater volume of waste will be recycled, reducing the pressure on our planet. Additionally, businesses will be spending far less money on landfill tax, ultimately saving you money in the long run. 

• Have you assigned a responsible person? While it is not compulsory to assign a responsible person to waste management, it might be something to consider. Having someone in the business who really understands the new regulations and who can be responsible for implementing them and ensuring other employees are educated will really help to enforce the new rules. 

• Have you arranged food waste collection with a licensed professional? All food waste must be collected and recycled by a licensed company, under the Simpler Recycling regulations. It is best to choose a company with a strong reputation and specialism in food waste recycling, such as Bio Collectors. This way, you ensure that your food waste is transformed into energy, biofuel, digestate and other useful resources. 

Transform your food waste into tomorrow’s energy. Here at Bio Collectors, we are leading the way in food waste collection and recycling. We collect from some of the biggest commercial names in the UK and we’re here to make it easy. 

Our dedicated bio-vehicles will collect food waste on a schedule that suits you before sending it to our state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion plant. Here it will be transformed into biogas to power the National Grid and the leftover digestate will be given to local farms to grow more food. 

This makes us a truly closed-loop and eco-friendly way to recycle your food and comply with Simpler Recycling regulations. Get in touch to find out more.