Welsh businesses must make sure they are aware of the new recycling rules which come into force at the end of this week.

As of Saturday, April 6, a new law requires all businesses, charities, and public sector organisations in Wales to separate their waste for recycling.

This mandate comes in line with the Welsh government's goal to reduce carbon emissions by 2050 and become a zero-waste country.

Currently, Wales is third in the world when it comes to disposing of household waste; this new legislation aims to mirror that success in the business sector.

Rachael Kiss from catering suppliers Alliance Online shared valuable insights on the new law, saying: "In the same way that households are encouraged to separate their recycling into individual bins, businesses in Wales will now be required to organise their waste into six categories."

These include food for premises that produce more than 5kg of food waste per week; paper and card; glass; metal, plastic and cartons; unsold textiles; and unsold small waste electrical and electronic equipment.

She added: "This legislation also mandates that wood waste cannot go to a landfill, nor can separately collected waste be incinerated or sent to a landfill.

"Failure to comply with these regulations could result in a fine for your workplace."

Regarding who the law applies to, she explained: "This law will impact any business, charity or public sector organisation in Wales."

This includes office spaces, retail and hospitality premises, agricultural premises, heritage buildings, libraries and museums, entertainment venues, education premises, and places of worship.

The new rules could particularly impact the hospitality sector.

Rachael Kiss cautioned: "Any workplace that produces over 5kg of food waste per week, such as hotels, pubs, restaurants and catering businesses, will be expected to be more mindful of how much food waste they generate and how this is disposed of.

“Hospitality businesses will not be permitted to get rid of their food waste down a sink, drain or sewer. This will also apply to using macerators, enzyme digesters, de-waterers or any similar technologies that may result in food being disposed of in this way.”

She further advised on how businesses can prepare: "Consider how your business currently manages its waste and what changes need to be made, such as acquiring additional bins, to ensure that you fall in line with the new law.

"Contact your waste collector to confirm that they will be able to collect your recycling or consider switching to a new provider if necessary."

She continued, "Evaluate what waste is currently produced and if there are ways to reduce this amount, to reduce the amount of collections needed.

"Establish a workplace waste policy and make sure that employees are trained and complying with this, with bins being easily accessible and efficient to separate waste from."

Ms Kiss also recommended that businesses contact their cleaning and janitorial product suppliers for advice on implementing a better waste management system.

For a comprehensive solution, she suggests: "the Rubbermaid Slim Jim recycling stations which can be optimised specifically for how your business wants your waste management to be broken down."