Simpler Recycling for Small Businesses
Simpler Recycling is a set of rules that requires workplaces in England to separate their waste for recycling. Businesses with ten or more full-time equivalent employees have had to comply since 31 March 2025. Micro-businesses, those with fewer than ten full-time equivalent employees, have until 31 March 2027 to put the right arrangements in place.
What Does Simpler Recycling Require?
Workplaces must arrange for their waste to be collected in separate streams rather than putting everything into one general waste bin. In practice, that means separating dry recyclables, such as paper, card, glass, metal and plastic, from food waste and from general residual waste. Paper and card generally need to be kept apart from other dry recyclables, unless they are collected together in a way that still allows them to be recycled properly. The aim is to send less to landfill and incineration and to make sure good-quality materials can be recycled.
Who Does It Apply To?
The rules apply to almost all non-domestic premises in England, including shops, offices, cafes, pubs, hotels, schools, care homes and places of worship. If you are a small business in Redhill, Reigate, Crawley or anywhere else in England, you will need to check that your waste contract covers each of the required streams before the March 2027 deadline.
How to Get Ready
Start by looking at what your business actually throws away. Our guide on how to conduct a waste audit shows how to measure your waste so you can choose the right bins and collection frequency. Then speak to your waste collector about separate collections for food waste and recyclables, set up clearly labelled bins for staff, and keep records of your arrangements in case you are asked to show how you comply.
What About One-Off Clear-Outs?
Simpler Recycling covers your regular day-to-day waste. Larger one-off jobs, such as a shop refit, office move or stock clear-out, are usually handled separately with a skip or clearance service. Even then, it pays to separate materials where you can, as clean cardboard, metal and timber are much easier to recycle. Our office clearance service sorts what we collect at our Horley picking station so as much as possible is recycled.
Your Wider Duty of Care
Simpler Recycling sits alongside your existing legal duty of care for business waste, which requires you to store it safely, describe it accurately and pass it only to authorised carriers. Our guide to commercial waste disposal regulations covers these responsibilities in more detail.
