Households and businesses across England face the biggest changes made to recycling and waste collection in years.
The way rubbish is collected will be overhauled in the new year in a “once in a generation revamp”, and households are being urged to learn the new rules.
Known as “Simpler Recycling” the major update comes into force in the spring and will standardise how councils collect waste.
At the moment, each council has individual rules when it comes to what recyclable materials they collect, which the government wants to change.
It’s part of a wider push to improve recycling rates and cut waste sent to landfill.
From April, residents will need to separate recycling into different categories, such as separating glass from cardboard. Four bins will now be the minimum for each household.
Claire Shrewsbury, director of insights and innovation at the charity Waste & Resources Action Programme, said: “This once-in-a-generation revamp of waste and recycling in England will mean higher recycling rates, increased green jobs and will play an important role in shifting the economy to becoming more circular, vital for a fit future.
“Most people in the UK regularly recycle, but we know one of the biggest barriers to recycling is people not being sure what they can and can’t recycle. Simpler Recycling will do exactly what it promises – make it simpler to recycle.”
When do the recycling rules change?
The new measures will come into force from March 31, 2026. It will apply to households and businesses in England.
How often will waste be collected?
In a major change, food waste bins will now be collected every week. It will still be up to councils to determine how often recycling and waste is picked up.
What are the main changes?
More plastic materials will be collected in the overhaul to the system such as plastic cartons.
From 2027, plastic film wrapping such as carrier bags and crisp packets will now be collected as a recyclable item, whereas before it would mostly end up in landfill.
The four new categories you will need to separate your rubbish into are:
- Non-recyclable rubbish
- Food waste
- Paper and cardboard
- Dry mixed recycling such as tins, plastic and glass
These could be stored in different container types, which is up to the local authority.
