Why you need to recycle?

The aim of this law is to ensure waste is managed so that high quality, valuable materials are collected for recycling which has much better environmental outcomes. High quality recycling will mean less waste going to landfill and incineration which has a negative impact on the environmental.

There are carbon savings by recycling correctly and using recycled materials rather than using products that contain virgin materials which results in the extraction of non-renewable resources.

For hospitals there is the potential to save significant amounts of money if recyclable wastes are managed correctly. Recyclable waste incorrectly disposed of, by being placed in a waste stream that need specialist treatment, such as clinical waste, costs considerably more to treat and manage than by recycling.

…and what to recycle

This law applies to household-like waste produced by hospitals. That is waste that is the same or similar to the type of waste usually generated from everyday activities in homes. This includes items brought in by staff, patients or visitors.

The materials that need to be presented separately for collection from April 2026 are:

• Paper and card;

• Glass;

• Metal, plastic, and cartons and other similar packaging (for example coffee cups);

• Food – all premises that produce 5kg or more of food waste for seven consecutive days;

• Small waste electrical and electronic equipment (sWEEE) and

• Unsold textiles.

A full list of recyclable materials that must be separated for recycling are in the Annexes of The Separate Collection of Waste Materials for Recycling: Code of Practice.

The 5kg food waste weight limit applies to any seven-day period. Hospital sites are likely to produce over the 5kg threshold and so will need a separate food waste collection service.

From April 2026 small waste electrical and electronic equipment (sWEEE) will need to be presented separately and sent for recycling. sWEEE is defined as any electrical item less than 50 centimetres on its longest edge.

An ‘unsold item’ refers to an unused item that has not been sold to a consumer or has been sold to and returned. It is unlikely that hospitals will have any unsold textiles to dispose of. However, it is considered good practice to recycle any waste textiles with an appropriate contractor once they have been treated i.e any branding from old uniforms.