Biffa to recruit over 250 staff ahead of Simpler Recycling rollout

The vacancies span 12 of Biffa’s 30 local authority contracts.

Further opportunities are expected to follow in other areas as local authorities prepare for the changes to household collections scheduled for April 2026. The recruitment drive will see:

• Drivers: Working as part of a crew, driving an LGV refuse collection vehicle for the collection of waste and recycling from residential streets
• Loaders: Working as part of a crew, collecting bins, boxes and bags from people’s homes and emptying them into the refuse collection vehicle
• Supervisors: Supervising operational activities at the depot, including maintaining records and supporting and managing the workforce
• Fleet technicians: Maintaining and repairing vans and associated refuse collection vehicles to meet health and safety legislation and DVSA requirements

In February 2025, Biffa CEO Michael Topham spoke to letsrecycle.com about the company’s expectations for the year ahead.

Simpler Recycling

The new positions are being created in preparation for Simpler Recycling legislation designed to standardise household collections across England from April 2026.

Under the new system, all local authorities will have to provide containers for the separate collection of dry mixed recycling, food waste and residual waste – with the option to separate out paper and card.

A recent Biffa survey highlighted the scale of the problem, finding that nearly half of people are unsure which bin to use, resulting in recyclable items being misplaced or spoiled.

Steve Cole, Managing Director at Biffa Municipal, said: “Simpler Recycling may be eight months away, but it’s vital we start recruiting now to make sure we have the best people in place for the successful preparation and delivery of this important change to the way people in England recycle at home.

“For too long, households have struggled with a muddled and confusing patchwork of approaches to their bin collections.

“Simpler Recycling will make recycling easier and more consistent by ensuring everyone can recycle the same materials, no matter where they live.”