Learn about the latest waste legislation
Legislation to help reduce the impact of waste on the environment continues to evolve. Learn about the latest changes and how they might impact your business.
Evolving waste regulation
UK waste regulation continues to evolve as the government seeks to embed sustainable business practices, to support the UK’s Net Zero ambition. There are 4 key legislative changes in the next two years that will impact businesses and organisations: Extended Producer Responsibility, Collections Consistency, the Deposit Return Scheme, and Persistent Organic Pollutants.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
Due in October 2025, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy which holds producers responsible for the total cost of managing their products’ household packaging from production to disposal. This includes the cost of collecting, sorting, recycling, or disposing of their products’ packaging.
Household packaging is defined as anything that may be removed from a household, including large bulky packaging for whitegoods to smaller everyday grocery packaging.
Household packaging is defined as anything that may be removed from a household, including large bulky packaging for whitegoods to smaller everyday grocery packaging.
EPR - Who needs to comply?
Any business which:
o Is an individual business, subsidiary, or group (but not a charity)
o Has an annual turnover of £1m+ or is responsible for 25+ tonnes of packaging
o Carries out one of a number of packaging activities. See below.
EPR - Qualifying packaging activities
Find out how we can help you prepare for EPR
The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS)
The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) aims to capture at least 90% of recyclable drinks containers to prevent them from becoming waste. Through the DRS scheme consumers buying drinks will pay a small deposit which gets refunded when they return the empty bottle or can. In most cases this will require retailers selling in-scope bottles and cans to host return points, including reverse vending machines where people can return their bottles and receive their deposit back. The scheme is due to go live in the UK October 2025 at the earliest.
Collections Consistency
Collections Consistency will standardise the collection of waste and recycling streams by local authorities and waste companies. It will specify which types of materials require separate collection and which can be mixed. Wales is the first country to provide more detail on their plans. Known as the ‘Separate Collection of Waste Materials for Recycling’ the Welsh Government have published plans that will require businesses, charities, and public sector bodies to separate out specific waste and recyclable materials for separate collection.
The Welsh Government’s Collections Consistency plan
The Welsh Government are currently proposing to phase implementation from 6th April 2024, as follows:
6th April 2024: Glass, Paper & Card, Metal, Plastic & Composite Cartons, & Food Waste
6th April 2026: sWEEE (except unsold sWEEE – which is from 6th April 2024)
6th April 2026: NHS
6th April 2027: Sold Textiles (except unsold textiles – which is from 6th April 2024)
6th April 2024: Glass, Paper & Card, Metal, Plastic & Composite Cartons, & Food Waste
6th April 2026: sWEEE (except unsold sWEEE – which is from 6th April 2024)
6th April 2026: NHS
6th April 2027: Sold Textiles (except unsold textiles – which is from 6th April 2024)
Change in waste wood handling regulations
The Environment Agency (EA) has confirmed the withdrawal of the Regulatory Position Statement (RPS) 250 effective from 1st September 2023. After extensive testing by the Wood Recyclers Association (WRA) to determine hazardous waste content in wood items, certain waste wood will now automatically be classified as hazardous and will need to be disposed of in compliance with hazardous waste regulations.
This means that the way wood is handled in industries such as construction and demolition will need to be reviewed. Download our guide to see how it may affect you and what you need to do.
This means that the way wood is handled in industries such as construction and demolition will need to be reviewed. Download our guide to see how it may affect you and what you need to do.
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
POPs are toxic organic substances that adversely affect human health and the environment. Items containing POPs such as sofas, cushions, and some textiles, are banned from landfill. UK manufacturers of soft furnishings and other textiles stopped using POPs by 2011, however some imported items contained POPS chemicals up to 2019.
If you are disposing of soft furnishings, it is now your responsibility to know whether they contain POPs or not. Unless evidenced by import documentation that the soft furnishings do not contain POPs then you must assume that they do, making it clear on the waste transfer note. Waste containing POPs must not be broken down or co-mingled with any other waste streams. It must also be stored and handled separately.
If you are disposing of soft furnishings, it is now your responsibility to know whether they contain POPs or not. Unless evidenced by import documentation that the soft furnishings do not contain POPs then you must assume that they do, making it clear on the waste transfer note. Waste containing POPs must not be broken down or co-mingled with any other waste streams. It must also be stored and handled separately.
What is Biffa doing about POPs?
We are working with our supply chain, and making changes at our facilities, to ensure we can handle and dispose of waste containing POPs compliantly, with minimum disruption to our customers. We are also helping our customers to understand their obligations by providing briefing, updates and additional guidance where needed.
