Important for Care Home Providers - The new recycling regulations
In Discussion with Advantage Buying & the New Recycling Regulations
In March 2025, new recycling regulations came into effect, requiring businesses across England ensure that all food waste is separated out from other waste streams and presented separately for collection by an approved contractor.
This is particularly important for care home provisions.
Understanding the legislation
As per new government legislation, all non-household municipal premises in England, excluding micro-firms (businesses with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees), are provisionally required to comply with the following regulations by 31st March 2025:
Separate food waste collections: You must arrange for separate collection of your food waste, diverting it from general waste streams.
Compliant waste presentation: Food waste must be presented in a manner that adheres to the new legislation.
These regulations are designed to improve the quality and quantity of waste all businesses, which includes care home provisions.
Benefits of separate food waste collection
- When food waste is mixed in with general waste it is typically sent to energy-from-waste facilities and on occasions to landfill. When it is collected separately it goes through a process which generates renewable power and produces an organic fertiliser
- Contributes to a more circular economy by transforming food waste into renewable energy and liquid fertiliser
- Potentially lowers your waste disposal costs as food waste contributes to the weight of a general waste bin and can mean you pay more for your general waste collection bins as a result
Food waste stream composition
Both household and non-household food waste collections will include:
- All food intended for human or pet consumption, regardless of nutritional value
- Biodegradable materials from food processing or preparation, including bones, eggshells, fruit and vegetable scraps, tea bags, and coffee grounds.
