The Five Biggest Waste Stories of 2025

The rollout of Simpler Recycling for Businesses in March required organisations with ten or more employees to separate dry recycling, food waste and general waste. The legislation aims to increase recycling rates and improve material quality, but implementation has not been straightforward.

Most workplaces have had to introduce new containers, rethink storage layouts and adapt daily routines. Industry reporting suggests awareness is improving, but inconsistent adoption, contamination issues and uncertainty around enforcement remain common challenges.

The core challenges

• Businesses with limited space have struggled to accommodate additional bins.

• Food waste separation has required operational changes rather than simple switching.

• Inconsistent guidance across sectors has created confusion.

Birmingham’s bin strikes generated more than 12,000 monthly Google searches during peak disruption and became one of the most-followed public service disputes of the year. The strike left waste uncollected across the city for extended periods, prompting an increase in fly-tipping and pressure on already stretched services. Over 300 days later, the dispute remains unresolved.

While local in nature, Birmingham highlighted wider operational issues facing councils nationwide. Many authorities are struggling with staff shortages, rising volumes and inconsistent service delivery. The situation demonstrated how quickly a local workforce dispute can escalate into city-wide waste management failure.

The UK plastics recycling sector continued to contract in 2025. At least 21 facilities closed or entered administration due to high operating costs and weak demand for lower-grade recyclate. In practical terms, this means the UK has become more reliant on exporting plastic waste to countries such as Turkey and Malaysia, where processing is cheaper.

Exports have risen sharply during 2024 and 2025, raising sustainability concerns and prompting questions about the long-term resilience of the UK’s recycling infrastructure.

The drivers of collapse

• High energy costs

• Low oil prices are making virgin plastic cheaper

• Weak demand for mixed or lower-grade plastics

• Ageing domestic infrastructure

Illegal waste activity increased sharply in 2025. Investigations identified more than 8,000 illegal sites containing an estimated 13 million tonnes of unmanaged waste. At the same time, several English regions are approaching critically low landfill capacity within the next decade, making disposal more expensive and opportunities for exploitation more attractive.

Organised criminal groups are increasingly advertising cut-price waste collection services online. Businesses that unknowingly use these carriers can still face enforcement action if their waste is found at illegal sites.

The Government’s long-awaited Circular Economy Strategy, originally expected in October, was postponed until early 2026. Industry bodies have stressed that this lack of policy clarity is delaying vital investment in recycling and reprocessing facilities.

Infrastructure projects rely on consistent regulatory direction, long-term targets and financial frameworks. Without that certainty, companies are choosing to delay major upgrades or expansions, even as landfill capacity continues to fall in some regions.