Caravan and Motorhome Club supports simpler recycling

We need your help!

Those members who are as passionate as us about sustainability will no doubt have observed the recent host of changes to waste and recycling legislation in Wales. In April 2024, businesses operating in Wales were required to begin collecting and separating different types of materials before presenting them to their waste processor. From the end of March 2025, the UK government is going to introduce similar legislation called Simpler Recycling in England. As you all know, waste and recycling facilities and requirements change wherever you go across the country. The idea behind Simpler Recycling is to standardise the collection of waste materials across England, making it easier for everyone to recycle correctly. Those businesses who do not comply could face fines. At this time we understand Scotland and Northern Ireland continue to explore their approaches.

Across the Club we have introduced new recycling and waste areas to help members segregate their waste properly. In many instances, these recycling areas are located near the site entrance making it easier and safer for our waste processors to collect and empty bins. 

Brightly-coloured recycling bins at Black Knowl Club Campsite

There are side benefits to this which support our sustainability as a Club and keep our members' and staff's health and safety front of mind. 

• Fewer bin liners are required  - we used over 636,000 refuse sacks in 2023 and these were going straight to landfill.
• Our staff doing less noisy vehicle trips around the site, saving on fuel and enabling them to get to other tasks and, importantly, reducing the risk of injury from manual handling, and dangerous items protruding from the bins. 

We will improve our signage in line with any changes introduced in 2025 to make it clearer for everyone to do the right thing.

Certificated Locations also need to follow any new policies too, so please adhere to any recycling and waste instructions they may give you on arrival.

What will the waste changes coming to England mean for me as a member?

Although there are similarities between each country across the UK, each does have a slightly different approach to recycling and waste management. The Club operates sites across Scotland, Wales and England, so when touring in different parts of the UK you will be required to segregate your waste according to that country's legislation. 

Look out for the new onsite signage that will support you with your recycling. Below is a guide for what to segregate when touring in England, Wales and Scotland. 

Touring in England

Our sites in England must separate the following items, and the general waste bin will only be for what is left and cannot be recycled. The waste that needs to be separated is as follows:

• food waste 
• glass bottles and jars  
• dry mixed recycling bin (plastics, paper, card and aluminium) 
• any other waste that does not meet the categories above will be put in the general waste bin.

For further reading on Simpler Recycling (English waste regulations) check out what Biffa have said about the new legislation: https://www.biffa.co.uk/support-resources/simpler-recycling 

Touring in Wales

Waste on our sites in Wales must be separated as follows: 

• food
• paper and card
• glass
• metals, plastic and cartons
• any other waste that does not meet the categories above will be put in the general waste bin. 

You can mix paper and card together in the same container, and you can mix metal, plastic and cartons together. 

For more information on Welsh waste regulations, please visit: https://www.biffa.co.uk/biffa-insights/wales-recycles 

Touring in Scotland

Across Scotland waste management looks different at each of our sites. Working with our waste management company, the Club aims to provide Ggeneral waste, dry mixed recycling and glass segregation as a minimum. However, due to the remote locations of some of our sites, it can be difficult to provide recycling services. The limited number of recycling plants across the country has made it hard for us to provide standardised waste and recycling services at each of our sites. The locations of the recycling plants themselves and the limited services they provide, for example not every plant can process glass, have both added difficulties. 

Therefore, as of 2025 we are looking at each Scottish site individually to identify what waste can be segregated and managed. Please review the signage at our bin locations to support you with your waste segregation on site.