New rubbish and recycling rules for England
Households across England are set to benefit from new rules on sorting their recycling and waste, which come into force on Tuesday (31 March), ending years of confusion over what goes in which bin and enabling consistent, streamlined collections.
The government’s Simpler Recycling scheme aims to boost recycling rates and cut the amount of waste sent to landfill or incineration.
Waste collectors must by default collect the following types of waste separately from households:
- Food and garden waste
- Paper and card
- All other dry recyclable materials (glass, metal and plastic, including cartons)
- Residual waste (non-recyclable waste that is sent for energy recovery or to landfill)
Households will now have a maximum of just four straightforward collections: food and garden waste, paper and card, dry recyclables like glass and plastic, and general rubbish.
Paper and card can be collected with other dry recyclable materials in certain circumstances, allowing local authorities flexibility to deliver services that work best for their communities.
Government said that simplifying sorting and collections will mean more high-quality recycled material can be processed domestically and used by manufacturers to make new products, supporting the shift to a more circular economy.
Simpler Recycling will reduce carbon emissions, cut environmental and societal impacts from waste disposal, and support the growth of the UK’s reprocessing industry.
Alongside the current Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging and upcoming Deposit Return Scheme which launches in October 2027, it will help make a significant step towards meeting the government’s ambition to recycle 65% of municipal waste by 2035, and deliver greenhouse gas emissions savings equivalent to £11.8 billion.
“We are ending the bin collections postcode lottery and making it easier for people to recycle wherever they live,” said Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh.
“Simplifying these rules will cut out carbon, clean up our streets, and help bring pride back into our communities. We will continue to work hand-in-hand with local areas to deliver these changes and ensure there’s more recycled content in the products we buy.”
To support some local authorities with area-specific delivery challenges, the government is providing additional support, such as agreed transitional arrangements allowing a later implementation date.
More than £78 billion has been made available to councils in England this year, which includes funding for councils to roll out weekly food waste collections for all households. This is alongside £340 million to support councils as they prepare for the new collections.
