London's Micro-Businesses Have Six Months Left to Meet New Commercial Recycling Law

From 31 March 2027, cafes, salons and other small businesses with fewer than 10 staff must separate recycling and food waste the same way larger companies already do, and many across London remain unprepared

LONDON, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Better Waste Solutions is urging the capital's smallest businesses to check their bin arrangements now, with six months left before the recycling rules larger companies have followed since 2025 reach them too. From 31 March 2027, Simpler Recycling requirements will extend to businesses with fewer than 10 full-time-equivalent employees. That closes one of the last exemptions in England's waste reform and brings cafes, hair salons, independent shops and other micro-businesses into scope for the first time.

Under the rules, businesses must sort their waste into four separate collections: general waste, dry mixed recycling, glass, and food waste. Dry mixed recycling covers paper, card, plastic and metal tins and cans, which can be collected together in a single bin, while glass must be kept in a bin of its own rather than combined with other recyclables. There is no minimum threshold below which a business can skip food waste collection.

The change follows the original rollout of Simpler Recycling for businesses with 10 or more full-time-equivalent staff in March 2025. London has a particularly high concentration of the small, low-footprint businesses this next phase targets, and many have relied on a single general waste bin up to now.

"A lot of the small businesses we speak to assume this is something that only applies to bigger companies, and that's an easy mistake to make when the original rules were aimed at businesses with ten or more staff," said Kathryn Drake, Director at Better Waste Solutions. "The bin set-up itself hasn't changed - it's still general waste, dry mixed recycling, glass and food waste, each collected separately. What's changing is who the rules now cover, and six months isn't long if you've never had to arrange separated collections before."

Businesses that leave the switch until early 2027 may find it harder to arrange compliant collections at short notice, particularly if demand for sorted bin services rises sharply as the deadline approaches. Better Waste Solutions, which compares licensed waste carriers across all 33 London boroughs, is encouraging micro-businesses to review their current bin arrangements now rather than wait for the rush.

Business owners who want to check what the new rules mean for their premises, or arrange compliant recycling, glass and food waste collections ahead of the deadline, can find borough-specific guidance at betterwaste.co.uk/areas-we-cover/london.

About Better Waste Solutions

Better Waste Solutions helps businesses across London find and arrange compliant commercial waste and recycling collections. The company compares quotes from licensed, vetted waste providers across every London postcode - all 33 London waste collection authorities, covering the capital's 32 boroughs and the City of London Corporation - matching businesses of every size with services that meet current waste regulations, including separate collections for general waste, dry mixed recycling, glass and food waste.

Media Contact
Kathryn Drake
Director, Better Waste Solutions
[email protected]
betterwaste.co.uk

SOURCE Better Waste Solutions