Workplace recycling

Workplace recycling has changed

It is the law for all businesses, charities and public sector organisations to separate certain materials for recycling. 

Rules also apply to all waste and recycling collectors and processors who manage waste from workplaces.

The Welsh Government introduced these changes to improve the quality and quantity of recycling from workplaces and improve consistency in how we collect and separate waste.

Workplaces will also need to separate their small waste electrical items for recycling from 6 April 2026. 

You’ll find a guide to the changes on WRAP’s Business of Wales Recycling website.

The Code of Practice gives you more detailed information about the workplace recycling law and how to comply. We’ll update the Code in April 2026 when the small electricals law comes into effect.

Update to the law: small electrical items

• From 6 April 2026, workplaces must separate any unwanted, small waste electrical items for onward recycling.
• Small waste electricals are any item with a plug, battery or cable which measures 50cm or less on every side. For example, unwanted laptops, phones, kettles, hairdryers, toasters, medical devices, lighting or power tools.
• Please try to repair or reuse any unwanted electrical item first, by selling it, donating locally or passing onto staff.
• Where repair and reuse isn’t possible, electricals should be kept separate from other waste and recycled, and not put in your general waste or other recyclable waste streams.
• It’s worth checking with the item’s manufacturer in the first instance, as they often have a responsibility to take back electricals at the end of life.
• If the item is a common item that can be used in both a household and non-domestic setting like a kettle, hairdryer or toaster (also known as a ‘dual-use’ item), check if it can go to a local in-store take-back scheme.
• Alternatively, you can talk to your waste collector, your local authority, or a specialist electrical recycler to arrange the drop-off or collection and onwards recycling of your small waste electricals.
• If your waste electricals are hazardous, you will need to manage these items in accordance with the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005.  If you’re not sure, assume it is hazardous and speak to your waste collector for advice to make sure it’s disposed of safely.
• Remember: it’s your responsibility to ensure you use a reputable, registered waste collector who will ensure your small waste electricals are transported, stored and recycled correctly.

Why we’ve added small electrical items from 2026

75% of the materials in old electricals can be recycled. If they go to landfill or incineration, valuable metals such as gold, copper, aluminium and steel are lost.  

Using recycled materials from waste electricals to create new products reduces carbon emissions and environmental damage.

Electrical items may only make up a small percentage of waste, but it can have a lasting impact.

Many small electrical items contain lithium-ion batteries. If these go in the general waste bin and end up being crushed, they can cause serious fires.

Wales is the best in the UK for domestic recycling and second in the world, but we can do more.

This law supports our circular economy strategy, Beyond recycling.

How to check you are sorting your waste correctly

It is important to read the Code of Practice alongside this general guide. 

WRAP’s Business of Recycling Wales website has guides for specific sectors including:

• Hospitality and food
• Retail
• Education including nurseries, schools and universities
• Hospitals
• Residential settings including nursing homes, residential care homes and prisons
• Outdoor events such as fairs, festivals, and concerts
• Leisure facilities and entertainment including caravan parks, campsites, and hotels. 

Posters, signage, and templates are also available on WRAP’s Business of Recycling Wales website.

What waste needs to be separated

The following materials should be separated for collection, and collected separately:

• Food
• Paper and card
• Glass
• Metals, plastic and cartons
• Unsold textiles
• Unsold small waste electrical and electronic equipment (sWEEE)

Remember: from April 2026, all small electricals will need to be separated for collection, not just unsold items.

You can mix paper and card together in the same container, and you can mix metal, plastic, and cartons together.

There is also a ban on:

• Sending food to waste sewers (any amount)
• Separately collected waste going to incineration and landfill
• All wood waste going to landfill

Who the law applies to

All businesses, charities and public sector organisations need to separate their waste. 

This includes, for example:

• Agriculture
• Hospitality and tourism - restaurants, bars, pubs, bed and breakfasts, hotels, campsites and caravan parks, holiday accommodation, and licensed premises
• Service stations and petrol stations
• Entertainment and sports venues including leisure centres and showgrounds
• Transport - bus stations, railway stations, seaports, airports, and heliports
• Care and nursing homes
• Pharmacies, GP surgeries, dental surgeries, and other primary care settings
• Construction sites
• Factories and warehouses
• Car garages
• Education - universities, colleges, and schools
• Garden centres
• Heritage buildings
• Libraries and museums
• Offices and workshops
• Places of worship
• Prisons
• Outdoor markets and festivals
• Retail

NHS hospitals and private hospitals will need comply with the law from 6 April 2026. Visit the Business of Recycling Wales website to read WRAP’s guidance for hospitals.

Guidance for workplaces: How workplaces can meet the requirements.

Guidance for waste collectors: How waste collectors can meet the requirements.

Why the law changed

This is an important step towards reaching zero waste, reducing our carbon emissions and tackling the climate emergency.

We want to keep materials in use for as long as possible. With the costs of materials rising, keeping high quality materials in use will help our economy and support our supply chains.