After several push-backs and long-awaited Government legislation changes, we are finally about to see some movement for food waste recycling. In what seems to have been a never-ending discussion resulting in delays due to funding, COVID and changes in government, it is great to see that On 31 March 2025 a new recycling regulation will come into effect!
What’s New?
This new law will require businesses across England to ensure that all food waste is separated out from other wastes and presented separately for collection by an approved contractor.
This new collection change falls under the umbrella of DEFRA’s ‘Simpler Recycling’ reform which was announced back in Autumn 2023, the statement released by DEFRA states that all UK businesses, as well as public sector organisations such as hospitals and schools, must implement separate food waste and recycling collections by the end of March 2025. With the new waste legislation to come into effect in less than 5 months, it is important that we are well prepared for this, but first, we must understand how it will work – to help with recycling success!
The new waste scheme is a mandatory one, for all non-household municipal premises in England, excluding micro-firms (businesses with fewer than 10 full-time employees). The premise is a new waste strategy – an individual food waste collection, where you must arrange for a separate collection of your food waste, ensuring it is diverted from the typical method of general waste streams. Typically this will be accommodated via a food caddy, bin or composter – where much like the dry mixed recycling, it is segregated from non-recyclable municipal waste.
Why the change?
The overall aim of the new legislation and separate collection methods is to improve recycling rates across the UK and help cut confusion as to ‘which bin is best’. Whilst the separate food waste collections will be new for the majority, many Local Authorities and businesses already operate under this segregation method. Food waste collections are extremely popular in Wales, with every council offering them to residents – coincidentally (or perhaps not so), Wales has been at the top of the table for recycling rates and bottom for contamination for many decades. Offering food waste collections separately is a huge part of this success.
DEFRA have stated this will help with the streamlining of which materials can be collected whether in business or domestic settings, the new reforms further intend to end the confusion around differences in collections across the country – which should help create success. Bold claims from the Government also say that the new collection ‘Will also support the effective regulation of waste‘, by transforming the way environmental regulators monitor compliance, and identify and prevent waste crimes such as fly tipping and the illegal export of waste.
All of this is to help the world towards its circularity goals.
How Cromwell can help?
There are a number of ways that businesses and organisations can prepare for the new Food Waste regulations – one of the main being having a cohesive strategy for capture and collection. This can include implementing trials to understand the frequency of collections and size of receptacles which are required to handle the waste in your area or business. The next would be to apply this service as successfully as you can during its initial implementation, this can be done by seeking the advice from those who currently offer such a service. One tried and tested way for great recycling and participation rates is by using waste liners to capture the food waste – this is something Cromwell are experts in. We are here to help with the supply of food waste liners for bins as small as 5L all the way up to 240L, and everywhere in-between. Compostable and Polythene waste sacks are made available to securely capture the waste, allowing for a hygienic and convenient collection.
Talk to our team today about a supply of bags, and about the new legislation in general – our friendly team are always on hand to help.