- Last Updated: October 17th, 2025
Key Takeaways
- 60% of waste that is sent to landfill yearly could be recycled.
- The official England waste from households recycling rate was 44.0% in 2023, up 0.6% points from 43.4% in 2022.
- In 2019, the UK missed their Environmental Agency (EA) target for recycling batteries by 258 tonnes, which is the equivalent of 150 standard sized cars.
How Much Waste Do We Recycle?
Specific 2024/2025 figures are not yet available, however the official England waste from households recycling rate was 44.0% in 2023, up 0.6% points from 43.4% in 2022.
Recycling in the UK has become a common discussion point amongst the population, parliament, and businesses. While it’s prevalence as an important limiter for climate change and environmental damage is obvious, many still fail to recycle effectively.
In fact, 60% of the waste that is sent to landfill yearly could be recycled. This article will explore some shocking facts about the UK’s recycling habits, delve into how businesses could do more to recycle their waste, and how Collect and Recycle can help.
UK Recycling and Waste Facts
E-Waste
In the UK over one year around 17,386 tonnes of portable batteries (excluding automotive and industrial batteries) were collected for recycling.
The UK’s WEEE system collected 496,000 tonnes in 2024, up from 473,000 tonnes in 2023. The United Nations (UN) is expecting e-waste to grow globally every year by at least 8%.
Globally, we currently throw away 50 million tonnes of electronic waste annually to landfill sites. This waste type is known as the fastest growing waste stream in the UK.
Food Waste
UK households throw away 6.6 million tonnes of food waste annually. Three quarters of this sum is food that could have been eaten.
26% of the waste in landfills is paper waste. Recycling paper is hugely beneficial for the environment. Recycling just one tonne of paper waste saves 682.5 gallons of oil, 17 trees, and 265,00 litres of water.
Hazardous Waste
Less than a third of waste oil produced by motorcyclists is recycled per year, despite it being recyclable.
This means that 13 million litres of waste oil are being disposed of incorrectly, causing detrimental effects on the environment.
Business Recycling
The UK generates around 40 million tonnes of commercial and industrial (C&I) waste per year. Of that, about 48.8% is said to be recycled or “recovered” in some way. That leaves just over half going to landfill, incineration without energy recovery, or otherwise not reused/recycled.
Excess waste in landfills produces an excess of methane. Methane is a greenhouse gase which is 25 times more potent than CO2. These gases cause damage to the Ozone Layer, resulting in extreme weather, respiratory diseases, and water pollution causing a reduction in biodiversity.
However, it is important to realise that recycling in your business isn’t just important for the planet, but for your business too. Increasing your recycling rate saves time and money, frees up space, and improves your reputation:
Time and Money
By recycling your waste with a professional waste management team, businesses can save both time and money. This is through managing waste more efficiently with an expert team, and also opening the opportunity for rebates. Many waste management businesses offer rebates for large volumes of high quality materials.
Frees Up Space
Recycling with a professional business can also free up space. Particularly in industrial companies, warehouses can be full of cardboard, plastic, metal waste, and more. By segregating and storing waste appropriately, space can be optimised. You can also set up regular recycling collections to ensure waste is cleared when required.
Space is valuable for businesses, and utilising these spaces for an alternative purpose could be hugely beneficial for your business.
Reputation
A good reputation is make or break for businesses. A good reputation results in more customers, sales, and profits.
Now more than ever, being able to market yourself as an environmentally friendly brand makes you stand out significantly. As businesses globally begin to take on eco-friendly policies, within this is the assertion that they work with other like minded businesses. If you can claim your own role as an eco-friendly company contributing to the reduction of landfill waste, your target audience can expand significantly.
How can Collect and Recycle help
Collect and Recycle can collect a huge variety of waste from your business, taking tonnes of waste off your hands. We process your waste at licensed recycling centres, ensuring it is treated and repurposed effectively. Get in touch today to book a collection for your waste, whether that be hazardous, electronic, plastic or cardboard.
