Written Statement: Making the Workplace Recycling Regulations and publication of the Code of Practice

I am pleased to announce the making of the Workplace Recycling Regulations, which will require all business, public and third sector workplaces to separate key recyclable materials in the way that householders already do across most of Wales. The requirements will come into force on 6 April 2024.

The Regulations will reduce the amount of waste we send to incineration and landfill, increase the quality and quantity of recyclable materials we collect from workplaces, which will in turn capture important materials to be fed back into the Welsh economy, and improve the consistency of how we collect and manage recycling in Wales.

The following Statutory Instruments collectively make up the Workplace Recycling Regulations; Waste Separation Requirements (Wales) Regulations 2023; the Prohibition on the Incineration or the Deposit in Landfill, of Specified Waste (Wales) Regulations 2023; and the Prohibition on Disposal of Food Waste to Sewer (Civil Sanctions) (Wales) Order 2023, are available here: Legislation.gov.uk

I have also laid and published the Separate Collection of Waste Materials for Recycling: a Code of Practice for Wales (‘the Code’) which sets out practical guidance on how to comply with the separation requirements. This code is for:

• the occupiers of non-domestic premises (including businesses, the public sector and charities) who are required to present specified recyclable waste materials for collection in separate recyclable waste streams;
• those collecting, or arranging for the collection of, waste who are required to collect, or arrange for collection of, the separate recyclable waste streams separately; and
• those who collect, receive, keep, treat or transport waste who are required to not mix the separately collected recyclable waste streams with any other recyclable waste stream or with other types of waste or other substances or articles.

The Code of Practice was consulted on in November 2022 and has been updated to reflect feedback from the consultation and to ensure consistency with the final Statutory Instruments. You can access the Code of Practice here: https://www.gov.wales/separate-collection-waste-materials-recycling-code-practice

We have also produced an Easy Read of the summary section of the Code of Practice. You can access the Easy Read Code of Practice here: https://www.gov.wales/separate-collection-waste-materials-recycling-code-practice

A national communications campaign is already underway to inform workplaces of the upcoming changes, provide sector-specific guidance, case studies and other resources to support workplaces and the waste sector to comply with this new law. Guidance and support is available from: http://www.gov.wales/workplace-recycling

The Workplace Recycling Regulations represent a critical action we are taking in Wales to tackle the climate and nature emergency, and see us take another significant step towards a stronger, greener economy as committed to within our Programme for Government. It is therefore fitting that these Regulations have been made at a point which coincides with the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) as they further our commitment to reach zero waste and net zero carbon emissions by 2050.