Petrol station forecourts are one of the many industries facing unique challenges in preparation for DEFRA’s ‘Simpler Recycling’ legislation, which comes into force in England from March 2025 – affecting businesses first.

 ‘Simpler Recycling’ seeks to standardise the collection of dry recyclable waste across councils in England. In practice, businesses will be required to sort their waste into three separate streams: general waste, food waste, and dry mixed recycling.

Some councils may require paper and card to be collected separately from other dry recyclables (plastic, metal and glass), so it’s best to check this detail with your waste collector.

Melanie Murphy, Business Development Manager at Leafield Environmental, discusses how the Simpler Recycling legislation will affect Petrol Station Operators

“Forecourt operators will need to implement a method of disposing recyclable waste from the public. Often, in the outdoor forecourt area there are only litter bins available, with limited options for recycling.

“This will not be compliant with the new regulations, which require forecourts to offer customers bins that allow dry mixed recycling and food waste to be disposed of separately, avoiding unnecessary waste reaching landfill. 

“The most efficient solution would be to install a bin with separate apertures to accommodate general waste and recyclable waste as required by the new Simpler Recycling legislation.”

What waste needs to be separated?

• General waste
• Food waste
• Dry mixed recycling, including:
• Glass bottles and jars
• Metal food and drinks cans
• Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
• Paper and card
• You need to collect paper and card separately unless your waste collector specifies that they co-collect dry mixed recycling.

Who will be affected by Simpler Recycling 2025?

Businesses, households and relevant non-domestic premises across England. This includes schools and hospitals. Smaller businesses with less than 10 full time employees will have until 31st March 2027 to make these changes. For households in England, local authorities have until 2026 to implement the new legislation.

Find out more about Simpler Recycling 2025 in our recent blog.

Get in touch

For more information on Leafield Environmental’s internal and external recycling bins call 01225816541, email recycle@leafieldenv.com or visit www.leafieldrecycle.com