Huge changes to bin collections for every home in England as new rules announced
Major changes are coming to bin collections across England due to new Government rules on recycling.
The changes, which include a once-a-week minimum requirement for food waste collection, are due to come into force in 2026. The Government hopes this will reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. However, the District Councils' Network (DCN) has warned these changes could result in higher costs for councils, potentially leading to more charges for taxpayers. They also expressed concerns about meeting the 2026 deadline, as many councils may struggle to afford the necessary equipment.
The current collection system has been described by Environment Secretary Therese Coffey as a “postcode lottery”, which sees people living in different areas unable to recycle the same materials. For example, glass isn’t currently collected from homes in Leeds but it is in Sheffield, reported Yorkshire Live. The government has promised to provide "reasonable funding" to cover any extra costs from the changes, with money coming from a combination of new burdens funding and payments through Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging.
Ms Coffey said: "Simpler recycling will help us all recycle more easily, doing our bit to help save the planet and make the best use of precious resources that we use every day. Alongside weekly food waste collections, we are ending the postcode lottery of what you can put in your bin so that wherever you live in the country, you will be able to recycle the same products with confidence."
The changes were proposed in 2021 when the government announced its goal to eliminate all reusable or recyclable waste going to landfill by 2050. However, these changes will only affect people living in England, as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own policies under devolution. The government is also considering expanding these rules to include places of worship, prisons, charity shops and residential hostels.
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The government is also proposing residual (non-hazardous industrial) waste should be collected every fortnight, although councils are concerned this would result in higher environmental costs elsewhere, such as through more fuel being burnt in transportation. Ministers are planning to introduce free garden waste collections for every home, taking away the choice from councils to charge or not. However, the DCN warns this could lead to people who don't use the service paying for those who do.
England's recycling rates are just over 44% and have stayed around this figure for the last decade. On October 1, a ban on single-use plastic items like plates, trays, bowls, balloon sticks and polystyrene food and drink containers was introduced with ministers hoping this will boost recycling rates.
Darren Rodwell, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association (LGA), said: "Public satisfaction with local waste services remains very high, which councils have worked hard to achieve. What works in urban centres is different to rural communities. We are pleased the government has listened to the LGA and councils and decided not to significantly reduce the flexibilities in how councils collect waste from people's homes. Our national ambitions for waste and recycling will only be achieved by fully empowered local delivery, alongside measures transferring the costs from taxpayers onto the waste producers."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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