Businesses must adopt greener waste practices or face a significant hike in landfill taxes as new legislation comes into force in England and Northern Ireland.
From 1 April 2025, the standard and lower rates of landfill tax will be increasing. There will be a 21 per cent increase in the standard rate, for general and mixed waste, to £126.15 per tonne. The lower rate, for non-hazardous, low polluting materials like rocks and soil, is also increasing to £4.05 per tonne.
Jason Smith, managing director of phs Wastekit, works with businesses on their sustainability, helping them to use green technology, like balers and compactors, and cost-effective waste management practices, to reduce their costs and impact on landfill.
He said: “If businesses aren’t prepared, they will be hit hard. This will be the driver that many businesses need to finally adopt more sustainable waste management practices and look at ways to limit the waste they send to landfill. Recycling will obviously play a crucial role in that.
“Balers are a cost-effective way to recycle waste cardboard or plastic and receive rebates in return. The machines tightly bale recyclable waste into standard sized bales, ready to be collected by recycling companies who can pay a significant rate for good quality waste, offering a healthy revenue stream for many businesses.
“In addition to this income, businesses using balers are diverting recyclable waste from landfill and making considerable financial savings by avoiding the heavy taxes. It simply does not make good business sense to send waste to landfill.
“Now is the time to invest in robust recycling processes, especially with the Simpler Recycling legislation also coming into force at the end of March. This places a legal duty on businesses to separate their dry recyclables, like cardboard, their food waste, and their black bin waste. This offers the perfect opportunity to make the most of those segregated dry recyclables using a baler.
“Before investing, it is important to understand exactly what types of waste your business is producing and in what quantities and sizes. This will help you get the right equipment for your specific needs.”
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