RECYCLING & WASTE MANAGEMENT
TAKING CONTROL OFWASTE
Starting this year, businesses need to separate their waste for recycling. But many are going further. James Beard, Head of Voluntary Compliance at the UK’s largest compliance scheme, Valpak by Reconomy, explains the shift towards voluntary compliance.
This year – as we find ourselves a quarter of the way through the twenty-first century – business waste management is set for big changes. Under new legislation, recycling will take centre stage, but there are plenty of other opportunities for FMs to tackle waste. As well as helping to cut some of the 33.6m tonnes of commercial and industrial waste produced each year, waste prevention, reuse and recycling help businesses to reduce costs and cut carbon emissions, as well as improving efficiency and building better relationships with staff, customers and suppliers.
New legislation for businesses From 31st March 2025 – with some exceptions – any organisation in England with more than 10 employees will need to separate their waste for recycling into three categories – glass, metal and plastic; cardboard and paper; and food waste. The changes are part of the Simpler Recycling legislation that also means that every local authority in England will collect a standardised set of materials for recycling.
This nationwide obligation to recycle is expected to deliver greenhouse gas savings of £11.8bn. With recycling typically costing less than disposal, WRAP estimates that switching to recycling can save organisations from £400– £1,000 a year per employee, so the benefit is felt by both businesses and the environment.
Voluntary compliance However, recycling is not just about meeting the demands of legislation. Voluntarily taking responsibility for the waste we produce or the resources we use will help us to prepare for future regulations, but it goes much further, setting clear boundaries and ethics for doing business.
Taking action and demonstrating that you care has never been so important. According to Deloitte’s 2024 Gen Z
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and Millennial Survey: Living and Working With Purpose in a Transforming World, 54% of Gen Zs and 48% of millennials reported that they and their colleagues are putting pressure on their employers to take action on climate change.
In the UK, we have had a ‘producer pays’ approach to waste electrical items and batteries for some years.
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