These days, there are a lot of rules and regulations in place that businesses have to adhere to. One of the most important regulations, besides health and safety, that you need to follow is recycling.

Due to the threat of global warming, the government is more concerned with lowering carbon emissions and protecting the environment than ever before. Not only that, but some sectors require strict, specialised recycling measures to ensure their waste is eliminated safely and correctly. Is your company following the correct recycling regulations? Find out below…

Understanding the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012

The current Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, came into force on 1st October 2012. They were amended to replace regulation 13 set out in the 2011 regulations, highlighting the rules regarding separate waste collection. As of 1st January 2015, metal, glass, paper and plastic waste had to be collected separately.

So, if your business specialises in precious metals for example, you need to ensure any waste is collected separately. A good way to do this is to use a specialist company such as ERG Air Pollution Control.

Is your waste hazardous?

Recycling regulations are pretty simple and easy to follow unless you’re dealing with hazardous waste. Companies dealing with waste classified as potentially hazardous need to adhere to extremely strict guidelines.

Hazardous waste is classified as anything that could cause serious harm to the environment or people. It includes:

  • Chemicals
  • Pesticides
  • Asbestos
  • Oils apart from car and edible oils
  • Solvents
  • Batteries

If you deal with any of the materials above, you will need to hire specialist waste removal services.

Waste and recycling reduction policy

As well as knowing how to correctly get rid of waste, there are also policies you need to follow in regards to reducing the amount of waste you produce. This particularly relates to packaging waste.

There are targets in place set out by the government, which aim to reduce packaging waste from 2013-2017. You need to ensure you’re using packaging that can be recycled, especially if you’re responsible for creating packaging materials.

As you can see, there are a range of different rules and regulations relating to business recycling. It’s extremely important to ensure you’re following the correct rules set out for your sector. Failure to keep up with these regulations could lead to a significant fine, one your business can’t afford to pay!

By Kar

Dr. Kar works in the interface of digital transformation and data science. Professionally a professor in one of the top B-Schools of Asia and an alumni of XLRI, he has extensive experience in teaching, training, consultancy and research in reputed institutes. He is a regular contributor of Business Fundas and a frequent author in research platforms. He is widely cited as a researcher. Note: The articles authored in this blog are his personal views and does not reflect that of his affiliations.