New Legislation Is Coming: Is Your Organisation Compliant?

For most of us, workplace recycling is something we want to get right, but when the system around us makes the right choice difficult, even the best intentions can end up in the wrong bin.

Multiply this across hundreds of employees, thousands of working days and multiple sites, and those small moments of uncertainty can become a much bigger problem – especially with new legislation.

The rules have changed – and new legislation is coming:

We know that bin systems are probably not your favourite, most exciting topic, but it really does matter. Waste management is becoming increasingly structured, meaning you and your organisation will be held accountable.

Under England's Simpler Recycling rules, workplaces with 10 or more full-time employees have been required since 31st March 2025 to arrange appropriate separation of their waste. This is now law, and these organisations must comply.

However, another significant change arrives on 1st October 2026.

Digital Waste Tracking is being introduced to create more consistent digital records of waste as it moves through the system. The first mandatory phase applies to waste-receiving sites in England and Wales, which will need to record details of the controlled waste they receive through the government's digital service.

Of course, you might think this means the new legislation is not relevant for you if you are not a waste-receiving site, but it does mean something important for every organisation:

Segregating waste into the correct streams is becoming more visible, measurable and accountable. 

Failure to separate waste appropriately and non-compliance with the October 2026 regulations will result in enforcement measures including:

• Civil penalties
• Compliance notices
• Prosecution
• Fines (severe or repeated offences such as deliberate misclassification or failing to properly separate waste types trigger penalties with no upper cap)

How much could incorrect waste separation really be costing you?

As well as prosecution, fines and penalties, non-compliance with the new legislation can have repercussions on your organisation’s operations.

Incorrect waste separation can result in your business paying even more in landfill tax (which itself has increased by 32% in the past 4 years).

Failure to segregate your waste correctly can also mean that waste-receiving sites may delay collections or refuse to collect entirely, leaving your site with excess waste.

This can have multiple ramifications for you and your organisation:

• “Where will this excess waste be stored?”
• “Will excess waste make the business look unprofessional?”
• “How will staff respond to excess waste around their workplace?”
• “What if your business’ operations mean frequent production of large amounts of waste? Will you have a waste backlog for months to come due to one collection refusal?”

Non-compliance not only results in enforcement, but also a logistical and operational nightmare.

So what can your organisation actually do about it?

Compliance starts at the bin.

Waste may be tracked further down the chain, but correct segregation starts with the everyday decision an employee makes when they throw something away. If your bin system makes that decision confusing or inconvenient, mistakes are almost inevitable.

1. Put everything employees need in one place

People are busy - if the paper recycling bin is across the room but general waste is within arm’s reach, convenience can quickly win.

Create clearly defined workplace recycling stations by grouping waste streams. Our 60L and 90L recycling bins can be combined to suit the waste your organisation actually produces, rather than forcing every workplace into the same setup.

The accompanying bin trolleys can also be linked together - including connecting 60L and 90L versions - so an entire recycling station can be moved in one go for cleaning or emptying.

There’s another simple benefit that is often overlooked: if an individual bin is removed, an empty trolley space makes it obvious something is missing. Without that visual cue, employees may simply use whichever bin is left, potentially contaminating another waste stream.

Convenience shouldn't compete with compliance. Your bin system shouldn’t allow convenience to win.

2. Make the correct bin obvious at a glance

Now imagine you're holding an empty drink can while rushing to a meeting.

You shouldn't need to stop and read a paragraph to work out where it goes.

Alongside clear DURAFRAME® labelling, our waste bins can be paired with our corresponding lids, available in various colours and lid openings designed for different waste types (a thin slot for cardboard and paper waste, and round gaps for bottles and cans) visually signal where waste belongs, making correct waste segregation natural and automatic for your people. 

Pairing straightforward signage and lids with colour systems creates the same clear language across the workplace.

The aim is simple: your people should be able to identify the correct waste stream in seconds.

3. Build the system around your workplace

The answer isn't necessarily more bins. It's the right combination of bins, lids, labels and guidance for the waste your organisation actually produces.

Choose between 60L and 90L bins, combine capacities where needed, select matching lids and openings, add the relevant signage, and connect trolleys to create a recycling station that fits your workplace.

Rather than buying individual products and trying to make them work together, your organisation can create a complete recycling system from one range, unique to your workplace - selecting only the components relevant to your waste streams and environment.

The best waste system is the one nobody has to think about:

As waste requirements evolve - from Simpler Recycling to the introduction of Digital Waste Tracking this October - organisations have an opportunity to look beyond compliance and ask a more useful question:

“Have we made doing the right thing easy?”

That might mean placing bins together, replacing an ambiguous label with a clear sign, standardising waste stations across different floors, or removing unnecessary choices and the chance for convenience to cause non-compliance.

To stay compliant with the New October Legislation and avoid repercussions, it’s time to look at your organisation’s waste system.

Compliance starts at the bin.

Read our Waste Separation Legislation Guide for a breakdown of the legislation and waste streams here.