Separated waste collections for workplaces
New Workplace Recycling Regulations, coming into force on 6 April 2024, will mean that all workplaces in Wales will need to separate the waste they produce for recycling in a similar way that most of us already do at home.
The regulations will also introduce a ban on separately collected waste going to incineration plants and landfills, a ban on all wood waste going to landfill and a ban on sending food waste to sewer.
These new legal requirements are part of Wales’ commitment to become a zero-waste nation and reduce carbon emissions by 2050 to help tackle the climate and nature emergencies, which we can already see creating such havoc on our precious environment and wildlife.
Sorting out recycling properly in the workplace will help ensure we produce high levels of high-quality recycling and reduce the amount of waste sent to incineration and landfill.
The recyclable waste streams that need to be separated for collection, collected separately, and kept separate after collection, from 6 April 2024 are:
- Food produced by premises producing more than 5kg of food waste a week
- Paper and card
- glass
- metals, plastic, and cartons and similar
- unsold small waste electrical and electronic equipment (sWEEE); and
- unsold textiles
These legal requirements to separate waste for recycling will affect:
- All workplaces (businesses, the public and third sector)
- Those who collect the waste, or arrange for waste to be collected
- Those who collect, receive, keep, treat, or transport waste who will need to keep the waste separate from other types of waste or substances
In its role as regulator, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) will be responsible for overseeing the separation requirements and the bans on waste going to incineration and landfill.
Local Authorities (LAs) will regulate the ban on the disposal of food waste to sewer from non-domestic premises.
Our team at NRW is on hand to help workplaces comply with the new regulations and manage their waste in the right way.
Here are some links which you may find useful:
- Waste classification
- Waste Duty of Care
- How to check a waste carrier
- How to register as a waste carrier
You can contact NRW if you need further advice, our contact details can be found by clicking here.
More information on the new recycling legislation can be found by clicking here.