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Simpler recycling: what does my small workplace have to do?

Answer two questions to see whether the workplace recycling rules apply to you now or from 31 March 2027, and what to separate. Nothing you tick is sent or stored.

Simpler recycling is the English scheme that requires workplaces to separate their waste before it is collected. Larger workplaces have had to comply since 31 March 2025. For micro-firms, the date is 31 March 2027. Status at 27 October 2026, from GOV.UK.

Is your workplace in England?

These rules are for workplaces in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules, which this page does not cover.

How many full-time equivalent (FTE) employees does your whole business have?

Count the total number of employees in the business, not per site. Part-time staff count pro rata (two people each working half the week count as one FTE). Volunteers, contractors and self-employed workers are not counted.

Do you rent your premises?

This only adds a note. It does not change the result above.

Your result

Answer the first two questions above to see your result.

Your browser is not showing a single result, so every possible result is listed below. Find the one that matches your answers.

Not England: this page does not apply

Simpler recycling is the English scheme. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own workplace recycling rules. Look at your own government’s pages.

Micro-firm: the date for you is 31 March 2027

GOV.UK says micro-firms, with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees, have until 31 March 2027 to comply. By then you must separate dry recyclables (plastic, metal, glass, paper and card), food waste and non-recyclable waste. Food waste applies even if you do not serve food or have a kitchen. Paper and card must be collected separately, unless a written assessment shows that separate collection is not technically or economically practicable or has no significant environmental benefit.

You do not need to register for the temporary exemption. Once the date has passed the Environment Agency can issue a compliance notice, and failing to comply with one is an offence. GOV.UK gives no penalty amounts. Use a collector on the Public Register of Waste Carriers, Brokers and Dealers, and ask what they will collect and how often.

10 or more FTE: the rules already apply to you

GOV.UK says the rules came into force on 31 March 2025 for workplaces that are not micro-firms. If you do not separate dry recyclables, food waste and non-recyclable waste, you are at risk of a compliance notice from the Environment Agency, and failing to comply with a notice is an offence. Ask your collector what they need from you, and keep a copy of what you agreed.

Count your full-time equivalents first

Work out the number of employees in the whole business. Add part-time staff pro rata (hours worked divided by the hours of a full-time employee), and leave out volunteers, contractors and self-employed workers. Then answer again. If you are close to 10, ask the Environment Agency or your waste collector.

Renting: check who arranges your waste

If your landlord employs a waste company for you, GOV.UK says that company has a legal duty to make sure separately collected dry recyclables are sent for recycling. It also says compliance notices can go to landlords or facilities management companies that present waste on behalf of the waste producer. Ask your landlord who arranges the collection and what they will provide.

What you must separate

According to GOV.UK, all workplaces in England must separate their waste before it is collected. You must always separate:

  • Dry recyclable materials: plastic, metal, glass, paper and card.
  • Food waste. GOV.UK says you must collect food waste even if the workplace does not serve food or have a kitchen.
  • Non-recyclable waste (also called residual waste).

You can use separate bins or separate waste before collection, and you decide the size of containers and frequency of collections based on the volume of waste you produce. GOV.UK says waste collectors recommend a weekly or fortnightly food waste collection. Paper and card must be collected separately from plastic, metal and glass, unless a written assessment shows that this is not technically or economically practicable or has no significant environmental benefit. If you provide bins for customers or visitors, you need to separate that waste before collection too.

What counts as a micro-firm

A micro-firm has fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees. GOV.UK says this relates to the total number of employees in the business, rather than at a certain location. Part-time staff are pro-rated. Volunteers, contractors and self-employed workers do not count towards the total. You do not need to register or apply for the temporary exemption.

What happens if you do not comply

If you do not comply by the date that applies to you, GOV.UK says you are at risk of receiving a compliance notice from the Environment Agency (EA). It is an offence to fail to comply with a compliance notice. GOV.UK states no penalty amounts. Compliance notices can also go to waste collectors, and to landlords or facilities management companies that present waste on behalf of the waste producer.

Questions to ask your waste collector

  • Are you on the Public Register of Waste Carriers, Brokers and Dealers? (GOV.UK says you must make sure the company is registered.)
  • What will you collect separately: dry recycling, food waste and non-recyclable waste, and in what containers?
  • How often, and what will it cost for each?
  • Do you collect paper and card separately, or have you made a written assessment that you do not need to?
  • What happens to contaminated recycling?
  • What paperwork will I get, and can I keep a copy of what we agreed?

Tell us what would help

We are considering short kits by type of business (cafe or pub, salon, shop, small office), and whether a way to compare collection quotes would be useful. Neither exists yet and we are not promising either. If you would like to hear if we make them, register your interest. We will write once.

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What this checker does not do

  • It does not know your premises. It applies GOV.UK’s dates and definitions to your answers.
  • It does not cover Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, which have their own rules.
  • It is only about separating the waste your workplace puts out. If you also make or sell goods in packaging, the packaging rules for producers are separate: try our packaging EPR size checker.
  • It is not legal advice. Read GOV.UK’s guidance and ask your local council or collector.

How this page works

The checker is plain HTML and CSS. It uses no script of its own, sends your answers to no one, and sets no cookies. The site’s cookie-free visit counting (see the privacy policy) counts the page view, not your answers. The form above is separate and optional.

Sources

Last checked 27 October 2026.

Changes to this page

  • 27 October 2026: Published as a free checker.