Convenience store body Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has launched new guidance for retailers in England detailing what they have to do to stay on the right side of the law when new rules on separating waste come into force in March.
From March 31, businesses (meaning the entire business, not just one store) with more than 10 full time equivalent employees will be required to separate their waste into four different streams. Those with fewer than 10 FTE employees will have until March 2027 to comply.
The four waste streams that will need to be segregated are:
- Dry recycling (glass, metal and plastic)
- Paper and card
- Food waste
- Black bin waste (to be sent to landfill)
Some waste collectors will take dry recycling and paper/card together, but retailers will need to confirm this with their collector.
In the guidance, ACS outlines the steps that retailers should take to make sure that they’re prepared for the rules coming in.
Retailers affected by the rules in March this year need to contact their waste collector to understand their responsibilities and any additional costs that they may occur as a result of the new regulations.
It is also important that retailers consider the bins that they are responsible for, especially outside of the store, where there is a higher risk of waste streams being contaminated.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said, “Retailers need to take a practical approach to the bins that they provide and assess the risk of recyclable waste being contaminated or requiring further separation, especially in places like petrol forecourts where more retailers will have bins that they are responsible for outside of the store.
"This is a significant change to waste separation and collection that retailers need to prepare for sooner rather than later.”
Businesses who do not comply with these requirements by 31 March 2025 (or 31 March 2027 for those with fewer than 10 FTE employees) are at risk of receiving a compliance notice from the Environment Agency.
Compliance notices can also be issued against anyone who is not separating waste in agreement with their waste collector.
It is an offence to fail to comply with a compliance notice and enforcement action may be taken against the business in line with the Environment Agency Enforcement and Sanctions Policy.
The full guide is available to download here.
