We're all familiar with recycling rules in the home, from separating waste to determining what can and can’t be recycled in the local area. But while our household efforts are essential, UK businesses generate waste on a vastly larger scale. So, what happens to all that material? And are UK businesses on the right track when it comes to dealing with waste responsibly? Let's delve into the numbers.
Business waste management statistics: an overview
Running low on time? Don’t worry. Here’s a speedy run-through of some of our key business waste statistics for 2024:
- Half of UK business owners are not currently aware of the government’s Simpler Recycling Reform which comes into effect from the 31st of March 2025.
- Many businesses say they’re not prepared for the Simpler Recycling Reform (64%).
- Only 6% of UK companies have made changes in preparation for the government’s new Simpler Recycling Reform.
- UK businesses produce 4 million tonnes of commercial and industrial waste annually.
- In England, businesses are responsible for nearly 34 million tonnes of waste per year.
How much waste do UK businesses produce each year?
- The most recent government figures estimate that each year UK businesses produce 4 million tonnes of commercial and industrial (C&I) waste.
- Businesses in England are estimated to be responsible for around 9 million tonnes of waste per year.
- Whilst on average, households in England produce approximately 5 million tonnes of waste per year.
This excludes commercial and industrial waste (construction, demolition, and excavation).
Recycling rates and business waste policies in the UK
So now we know just how much waste companies in England produce each year, but where does all this waste go? And what plans have the government put in place to help improve recycling rates?
- In 2021, the UK generated approximately 5 million tonnes of waste.
- 6% of this waste was recycled, 26.2% was composted and 29.2% was sent to landfill.
- The overall recycling rate in the UK currently sits at around 44% (up from 17% in 2008). However, these rates have plateaued in the last few years and are starting to show signs of decline.
That’s why the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has decided to bring in new waste management rules for businesses under the Simpler Recycling Reform.
- The reform will come into effect on 31st March 2025, when businesses with 10 or more employees will be required to ensure the collection of all core waste streams (paper and cardboard, plastic, glass, metal and food waste).
- From 31st March 2027, micro-firms will also be required to adhere to the new requirements.
How many UK businesses are aware of the Simpler Recycling Reform?
It’s a great sign that the reform is being put into place, but how many UK businesses are aware of it? And what percentage have plans in place for managing their waste responsibly?
To find out, in July 2024 we used the market research company Censuswide to survey 250 UK business owners, the survey revealed that:
- Half of UK business owners are not currently aware of the government’s Simpler Recycling Reform.
- Just 17.6% of UK businesses are aware of the reform and have already made changes to accommodate for it.
- 4% say they have a plan in place for the Simpler Recycling Reform.
- Whilst 6% of businesses are aware of the reform, they do not yet have a plan for it.
- And the remaining 4% are aware of the government’s Simpler Recycling Reform but are not sure of the details, such as the rules and deadline.
- This means that overall, 64% of UK businesses are not prepared for the Simpler Recycling Reform which comes into effect on 31st March 2025.
Awareness of business waste legislation by region
To find out which parts of the UK are most (and least) prepared for the upcoming reform, we asked all our survey participants to reveal which region they’re from. The results revealed that:
- Businesses in the South East are the least aware of the upcoming Simpler Recycling Reform, with 72% of business owners revealing they are not aware of the reform.
- This is followed by Scotland, where 69% say they’re unaware of the reform.
- In contrast, 30% of businesses in Greater London are unaware of the reform, meaning almost two-thirds have at least some level of awareness.
|
Region |
Percentage of business owners that are aware of the Simpler Recycling Reform |
|
Greater London |
70% |
|
Wales |
67% |
|
North West |
62% |
|
Yorkshire and the Humber |
61% |
|
West Midlands |
47% |
|
East of England |
46% |
|
East Midlands |
43% |
|
North East |
40% |
|
Northern Ireland |
40% |
|
South West |
33% |
|
Scotland |
31% |
|
South East |
28% |
What size businesses are most prepared for the new waste legislation?
So now we know how much awareness UK businesses have of the upcoming reform, but just how prepared are they for these changes? What size businesses are most prepared? To find out, we asked participants for this information prior to completing the survey. This found:
- Large businesses are by far the most likely to be prepared for the upcoming recycling reform. In fact, 70% of UK businesses with over 500 employees say they’ve already made changes to accommodate for the reform and 30% say they have a plan in place and are fully prepared.
- Smaller businesses on the other hand are far less likely to have a plan in place for the Simpler Recycling Reform, with just 5% of businesses with 10-49 employees saying they’ve made changes in preparation for the reform, and just 18% saying they are fully prepared.
- Micro businesses (those with fewer than 10 full time employees) and sole traders have more time before they’ll be affected by the reform (March 2027) and their level of preparedness appears to reflect this, as just 6% of sole traders and 12% of micro businesses have made changes to accommodate for the reform. In fact, 67% of sole traders and 55% of small businesses are entirely unaware of the reform.
Our survey also found that in general, the higher a business’ turnover is, the more likely they are to be aware of and prepared for the reform. However, despite this:
- Almost a third (30%) of UK businesses with an annual turnover of £1 million or more are not aware of the government’s Simpler Recycling Reform.
- While over a third (36%) of businesses with an annual turnover of £500,000 - £999,999 are unaware of the reform.
- More than half (53%) of businesses with a turnover of £100,000 - £499.999 are not aware of the Simpler Recycling Reform.
- And 61% of businesses with a turnover of less than £100,000 are unaware of the reform.
Industry type and waste management proactivity
It’s clear that the larger a business is (in terms of both number of employees and annual turnover), the more likely they are to be aware of the Simpler Recycling Reform. But which industries are most up to date with the new rules? Our findings revealed:
- Finance and Sales, Media & Marketing businesses are most prepared for the Simpler Recycling Reform, with 43% saying they’ve already made changes in preparation for the reform.
- This is followed by IT & Telecoms businesses, 41% of whom have put new changes in place to prepare.
- Whilst the industries that are least prepared for the reform include Education and Retail, Catering & Leisure.
The Cost of Ineffective Waste Management
Reliable waste management companies can come at a cost. But how does this compare to the potential cost of poor waste management practices?
- The standard landfill tax rate in the UK is currently £103.70 per tonne (2024).
- .The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that by 2025, landfill taxes will have risen by £0.6 billion.
- Over a third (34%) of consumers have reported that their trust in brands would be improved if they were recognised as an ethical/sustainable provider by an independent third party.
Business waste management in 2024 and beyond
How can businesses prepare for the upcoming reform and ensure their waste disposal practices are responsible, sustainable and in-line with the government’s guidance?
Our very own CEO and founder, Bruce Bratley (PhD) says:
"The easiest way for your business to start tackling climate change is to reduce waste and recycle the rest. Businesses have been frustrated that they can't easily recycle as the rules are complex and there's a lack of consistency across the country.
The new Simpler Recycling rules will start to solve this problem and we urge businesses to spend some time getting to grips with the new requirements or get in touch with First Mile".
Get compliant with First Mile
Businesses can get ahead of the changes by switching to First Mile, many of our customers are already saving money and recycling more by setting up a dedicated Food Recycling stream with us.
When switching to First Mile, we can handle everything, meaning zero hassle or disruptions to your existing schedule.
