New workplace recycling regulations in Wales: What you need to know

All businesses, charities and public sector organisations in Wales have to sort their waste for recycling in the new year.

The Welsh Government’s ‘Workplace Recycling Regulations’ will require workplaces to separate key recyclable materials in the same way that householders already do across most of Wales.

The law, which will come into force on 6 April 2024, aims to increase recycling and reduce the amount of waste sent for incineration and to landfill.

It will also improve the quality and quantity of recyclable materials collected from workplaces, which will in turn capture important materials to be fed back into the Welsh economy.

The following materials will need to be separated for collection, and collected separately:

• Food
• Paper and card
• Glass
• Metal, plastic and cartons
• Unsold textiles
• Unsold small waste electrical and electronic equipment (sWEEE)

There will also be a ban on:

• Sending food waste to sewer (any amount)
• Separately collected waste going to incineration and landfill
• All wood waste going to landfill

You can mix paper and card together in the same container, and you can mix metal, plastic, and cartons together.

Who the law applies to

• All businesses, charities and public sector organisations will need to separate their waste.

This includes:

• Agricultural premises
• Hospitality and tourism – restaurants, bars, pubs, bed and breakfasts, hotels, campsites and caravan parks, holiday accommodation, and licensed premises
• Showgrounds
• Service stations and petrol stations
• Entertainment and sports venues including leisure centres
• Transport – bus stations, railway stations, seaports, airports, and heliports
• Care and nursing homes
• Pharmacies, GP surgeries, dental surgeries, and other primary care settings
• Construction sites
• Factories and warehouses
• Car garages
• Education – universities, colleges, and schools
• Garden centres
• Heritage buildings
• Libraries and museums
• Offices and workshops
• Places of worship
• Prisons
• Outdoor markets and festivals

The only workplace that has an additional two years to comply is NHS and private hospitals.

For more information visit Welsh Government’s workplace recycling page.

You can also learn more on WRAP Cymru’s The Business of Recycling Wales page.