Recycling advice for businesses

Improving your business's environmental performance can save money and improve your business efficiency as well as your public image, helping to attract new customers. Information and links to help you improve your business's environmental performance in relation to waste and recycling are given below.

Resource efficiency and reducing waste 

WRAP is a national charity which is the lead organisation providing detailed information and advice to help small businesses improve their waste and resource management.  This includes their Business Resource Efficiency Hub, tailored advice for the hospitality and events sector and for businesses involved with catering. 

Wandsworth Work and Play is a local charity and community scrap store which collects clean, reusable waste/surplus materials from local businesses and makes them available to its members such as local schools as an environmentally friendly and creative educational resource.

Recycling

View our directory of major licensed waste carriers offering waste and recycling collection services to local businesses. 

You can take your own commercial waste for recycling such as paper, cardboard, glass and scrap metal to the waste transfer station in Smugglers Way, Wandsworth but you must set up a credit account with Cory Environmental Ltd in advance (call Cory direct on 020 8871 3924).  This is next door to the public tip which does not accept commercial waste.  Remember that you need a waste carriers licence to transport any controlled waste even if it is your own.

Simpler Recycling legislation

Simpler Recycling legislation aims to standardise recycling across England. It introduces a set range of materials that all workplaces need to recycle. 

The legislation applies to all workplaces, including places of education and worship.

Timelines

Businesses with more than 10 full-time equivalent staff should have been following Simpler Recycling rules since 31 March 2025.

Micro-firms, those with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent staff, have until 31 March 2027 to comply.

Report non-compliance

Anyone can report a business or organisation that is not complying with the rules.

You can't report a business or organisation with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent staff, as they have until 31 March 2027 to comply.

More information

Read our guidance on what Simpler Recycling means for businesses.