Waste management
Simpler Recycling: what you need to know
Mia Fisher, marketing communications executive at commercial waste management broker Waste Managed, explains what care homes need to do in order to comply with new recycling legislation, and how smart waste systems can save time, money, and stress
In April 2025, the Simpler Recycling legislation came into force across England, starting a new era of waste separation requirements for businesses, which includes care homes. This legislation has been designed to support the UK’s long- term environmental goals, particularly the elimination of avoidable waste and increasing the ability to reuse materials by 2050, as outlined in the government’s Resources and Waste Strategy. For the care sector, where daily operations
generate a diverse mix of waste streams, from food scraps and packaging to paper documents and general waste, the introduction of these changes has had a large impact. While care homes have long been expected to follow waste regulations, this change is more demanding, and for many operators, this means taking on additional short-term costs, from investing in more bins and segregating waste more carefully to
adjusting supplier contracts. However, these changes also push the
sector toward a cleaner, more compliant future. Care homes with 10 or more full-time employees are required to segregate specific recyclable materials: dry mixed recycling, glass, and food waste. Additionally, from March 2027, businesses with under 10 employees, including care homes, will also be required to follow the regulations. This tiered rollout gives smaller care
homes a little more breathing room to get prepared before the day the legislation comes into effect, but the message is clear – waste segregation will soon be a universal requirement across all English care homes. Care homes must also accommodate
additional waste streams, such as sanitary, pharmaceutical, sharps, offensive, and confidential waste. This is to prevent contamination, comply with regulations, and minimise landfill impact. Proper
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segregation of these streams ensures safe disposal and supports sustainable operational practices.
Enforcement and penalties Enforcement for this legislation will fall under local authorities and the Environment Agency. In Scotland, similar waste segregation requirements are already in place, with enforcement carried out by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Similarly, in Wales, legislation was implemented in 2024 to enforce the separation of waste. The Welsh government has imposed additional requirements, including separate streams for paper, card, metal, plastics, cartons, unsold textiles, and small waste electrical items. Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, legislation currently only impacts the separation of food waste, but they are likely to follow similar rules to Simpler Recycling in due course.
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