Are businesses really getting to grips with Simpler Recycling or doing a rubbish job of handling waste?

How are businesses really doing?

Figures for adherence to Simpler Recycling are still difficult to come by on a national basis, so grading compliance is undoubtedly a challenge at this stage.

What we do know is that bringing in the scheme has helped to successfully educate decision-makers across businesses, as the threat of fines and penalties began to loom.

This is essential if the Government is going to reach its target of recycling 65% of municipal waste by 2035. Prior to Simpler Recycling, the baseline for recycling rate stood at just above 40% for non-household municipal waste.

While instances of handing out penalties have been relatively scarce through the first year of Simpler Recycling, it was asserted by the Environment Agency in February 2026 that a £118-per-hour charge would be applied for regulatory work associated with businesses that are found to be non-compliant. This hints at a tightening of restrictions and an intention to begin enforcing Simpler Recycling with more rigour now that organisations have had ample time to improve commercial waste collection.

What does good separation look like in practice?

Having the right bins is only half the job. It’s important to take a more rigorous approach to what’s actually happening around your workplace. Are desk bins simply being bagged up and added to general waste? Is food ending up with other rubbish?

Are recycling bins being contaminated because people aren’t sure what goes where?

Location matters too. If the recycling point is at the other end of the building while a general waste bin is within reach, it’s fairly easy to guess which one people will use.

An important lesson for many businesses is to look beyond the core collections – particularly those working in industries where less common materials or goods need to be disposed of. A hospitality business, for example, can produce large quantities of bottles and may benefit from dedicated commercial glass recycling.

Offices and other workplaces replacing computers, monitors or electrical equipment may also need to dispose of electronic goods from time to time. In this instance, a WEEE waste collection is necessary.

Frequency is perhaps the biggest recycling issue facing most businesses, though. For those companies still getting to grips with Simpler Recycling, it is worth taking the time to audit the frequency of waste collections and understand if weekly, monthly or seasonal changes to collection schedules may be required to prevent overflowing recycling bins alongside half empty general waste containers.

At Everflow, we help businesses arrange waste collections around what they actually produce, from general waste and recycling to food, glass and specialist waste streams.