Feature
Three Months On:
What Simpler Recycling Legislation Means For Facilities Management Today
Joanne Gilliard, CEO of Jangro, and Chelsea de Moll, key account manager at Rubbermaid Commercial Products UK, explore how the new Simpler Recycling legislation is reshaping waste management for facilities and encouraging smarter sustainability strategies.
Three months after England’s Simpler Recycling legislation came into effect, many facilities teams are realising that compliance is just the start. For those ahead of the curve, it’s proving to be more than a regulatory hurdle, it’s a catalyst for change.
As Plastic Free July sparks renewed awareness of the environmental impact of single-use plastics,
facilities
professionals are also grappling with a more immediate shift that extends beyond reducing single-use plastics: the real time- demands of implementing Simpler Recycling. Those treating it as a box-ticking exercise risk falling behind. For progressive teams, however, it’s become a launchpad for futureproofing operations, embedding sustainability into daily practice, and streamlining facilities management.
Effective from 31 March 2025, the new rules require all commercial premises in England with more than 10 full-time employees to separate dry recyclables, food waste and general waste at the point of disposal. From 2027, this will extend to smaller businesses and include an additional stream for plastic film. The overarching aim is to reduce contamination, raise recycling performance and create greater consistency across sectors. For facilities teams, this shift calls for more than system tweaks, it means shifting waste management from a background process to a frontline strategic priority.
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Simpler Recycling As A Launchpad For Sustainable Transformation
Rather than approaching Simpler Recycling as a compliance checklist, many forward-thinking organisations are using it as an opportunity to modernise outdated practices and embed sustainability into core operations. In sectors like hospitality, education, healthcare and leisure, where high footfall and space constraints complicate waste segregation, the legislation has become a driver of innovation.
Facilities are moving away from inconsistent systems and adopting clearer, more centralised collection points. Shifting from under- desk bins to shared waste stations not only improves recycling accuracy but also reduces the workload for cleaning operatives.
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