England’s Simpler Recycling: Four bins per household or business required by new policy

The UK Government has released an updated and simplified recycling regulation that introduces four default waste categories across all of England. The aim of the new Simpler Recycling policy is to make waste collection more consistent and streamlined.

The four new default requirements for households and workplaces are:

• Residual and non-recyclable waste
• Food waste (mixed with garden waste if appropriate)
• Paper and card
• All other dry recyclable materials, including plastic, metal and glass. 

“We will make recycling easier: citizens will be able to recycle the same materials across England whether at home, work or school, and will no longer need to check what is accepted for recycling in their local area. A universal standard will ensure that everything that can be collected for household recycling is collected in every region,” the policy update states.

By March 31, 2025, businesses and relevant non-domestic premises in England will need to arrange for the collection of the core recyclable waste streams: glass, metal, plastic, paper and card and food waste. Garden waste will be an exception.

Businesses with fewer than ten employees will be exempt from this requirement until March 31, 2027.

By March 31, 2026, local authorities will begin collecting recyclable waste streams from all households in England, according to Simpler Recycling. 

Subject to parliamentary processes, the government will introduce secondary legislation implementing the policy updates this December.

A circular economy strategy 

A key aim of the Simpler Recycling policy update is meeting the UK Government’s circular economy commitments. 

With Simpler Recycling, the government sets out to: 

• Keep the nation’s resources in use for longer and reduce waste
• Accelerate the path to net zero
• Investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs
• Aid the economy
• Preserve nature.

Alongside extended producer responsibility for packaging and the deposit return scheme for drinks containers, Simpler Recycling is part of the efforts to ensure the recycling of 65% of municipal waste by 2035 and to achieve greenhouse gas emissions savings equivalent to £11.8 billion (US$14.3 billion).

The policy update asserts that Simpler Recycling takes a “pragmatic approach” that will allow councils and other waste collectors to make choices that suit local needs.

Recently, Bedford Borough Council expanded its glass recycling trial to 12,000 households ahead of the Simpler Recycling reform.