If your business has fewer than 10 full-time equivalent staff and operates in England, you have until 31 March 2027 to start separating your waste. That usually means more bins, and it is easier to sort them out early. Here is how to choose the right set-up.
How many bins does a small business need?
The rules do not set a number or require a specific type of bin. Most workplaces will need a way to keep these streams apart:
- Mixed recycling: plastic, metal and glass
- Paper and card: separate, unless your collector has completed a written assessment allowing them to be collected with other recyclables
- Food waste: including tea bags and coffee grounds
- Non-recyclable waste: whatever cannot be recycled
Check with your waste collector before you buy, as their service will affect how many bins you need and what sizes they can empty. Our Simpler Recycling guide explains the rules in full.
Good bin choices for small sites
| Your situation | Consider |
|---|---|
| Small shop or office with limited outdoor space | 240L plastic wheelie bins, one per stream |
| Café, salon or busy shop producing more waste | 360L wheelie bins or a 660L container |
| Site with a lot of cardboard or packaging | A larger container for card, such as our 660L or 1100L |
| Limited floor space but several streams | A DuoBin, which collects separate streams in the footprint of one 1100L container |
| Food waste outdoors | Food waste housing or a dedicated food waste bin |
Keep each stream easy to recognise
Our 240L and 360L plastic bins are available in black, brown, dark blue, green and yellow. The guidance does not set a colour code for workplace bins, so agree the colours with your collector, then label every bin clearly and use the same system indoors.
Do not forget the indoor bins
Outdoor containers only work if waste is separated where it is created. Put small, labelled bins by desks, tills, kitchens and any customer areas, and tell staff where each item goes. Contamination can lead to extra charges or a refused collection, so keeping things simple pays off.
Check before you order
- Do you know which materials and bin sizes your collector takes?
- Do the bins fit in your store, and through any doors and gates?
- Can staff safely move a full bin to the collection point?
- Will the capacity last between collections?
Still not sure on size? Use our commercial bin size guide.
Order your bins in good time
31 March 2027 is the same deadline for every micro-firm in England, so it makes sense to plan ahead. Browse our bins or ask our team for advice.
