# The Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2025, Note: Explanatory note


(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations set exemptions from the condition set out in sections 45A(5), 45AZA(5) and 45AZB(5) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (c. 43) (“the Act”) such that any combination of the recyclable waste streams metal, glass and plastic can be collected together. They also make provision in respect of recyclable household waste, so that the recyclable waste streams food waste and garden waste can be collected together. These conditions require recyclable household waste and recyclable relevant waste in each recyclable waste stream to be collected separately, except so far as provided by sections 45A(6), 45AZA(6) and 45AZB(6) of the Act.
These Regulations also set an exemption from the application of sections 45AZA and 45AZB in respect of businesses which are micro-firms until 31st March 2027. A micro-firm is a business which has a full-time equivalent number of employees of less than ten. “Business” is defined for these purposes as meaning any person carrying on an activity or enterprise, whether or not for profit, from relevant non-domestic premises under section 45AZA(11) of the Act or from premises producing relevant waste to which section 45AZB of the Act applies. Businesses which meet this definition will not need to comply with any requirements in section 45AZA or section 45AZB as appropriate, until 31st March 2027.
A full impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on business, the voluntary sector and the public sector is available from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF, and is annexed to the Explanatory Memorandum which is available alongside the instrument on www.legislation.gov.uk.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2025/9780348266566/note (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/draft-separation-of-waste-england-regulations-2025/note
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.