Simpler recycling: household recycling in England
Source: gov.uk (2025-05-13)

Guidance for waste collectors on household recycling requirements in England, which change on 31 March 2026.

This guidance is to help waste collection authorities, and waste collectors acting on their behalf, meet the new Simpler Recycling requirements.

Materials you must collect

From 31 March 2026, by default, waste collectors must collect the following types of waste separately:
- 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)
All these types of waste must be collected from all households (including flats).

Plastic film packaging and plastic bags will need to be collected with plastic recycling from 31 March 2027.

Paper and card can be co-collected (#co-collecting-paper-and-card) with other dry recyclable materials where appropriate based on local circumstances. Read the following sections for guidance on separating materials.

The materials that need to be collected are listed in Schedule 1 of the Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/666/contents/made). The stream descriptions may change in future to include as much recyclable material as possible.

Materials you do not need to collect

Local authorities should provide clear information to households about what can and cannot be recycled in each waste stream, to reduce confusion.

Schedule 1 of the Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/666/contents/made) lists some of the materials that do not need to be collected.

The lists below give more examples of items that do not need to be collected. These are not complete lists.

Glass

You do not need to collect any glass not used as packaging. This includes:
- candles
- drinking glasses
- flat glass
- glass cookware (such as Pyrex)
- light bulbs and tubes
- microwave plates
- mirrors
- vases
- window glass
- ceramics, such as crockery or earthenware
Metal

You do not need to collect:
- laminated foil, like pet food pouches and coffee pouches
- electrical items and batteries
- general kitchenware like cutlery, pots and pans
- kettles
- irons
- pipes
- metal packaging that has contained white spirits, paints, engine oils or antifreeze
Plastic

You do not need to collect:
- any plastic packaging or non-packaging items labelled as ‘compostable’ or ‘biodegradable’, including coffee pods
- plastic bottles that have contained white spirits, paints, engine oils or antifreeze
- bulky rigid plastics such as garden furniture, bins and plastic toys
- polystyrene (expanded and high impact) packaging such as packing beads
- polyvinyl chloride (PVC) packaging
Paper and card

You do not need to collect:
- food and drinks cartons made of a fibre-based composite (these should be collected in the plastic stream)
- absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) including nappies, period products and incontinence products
- cotton wool or makeup pads
- tissue or toilet paper
- wet wipes
Food waste

You do not need to collect any plastic packaging or non-packaging items labelled as ‘compostable’ or ‘biodegradable’, including coffee pods.

Food waste caddy liners used to hold food waste can be collected.

Garden waste

You do not need to collect:
- animal bedding
- bulky waste (including garden furniture and fencing)
- garden tools or other gardening equipment
- plant pots
- plastic
- sand
- sawdust
- stone, gravel or bricks
- tea bags or coffee grounds
- branches and trees over a certain size may have to be cut into smaller pieces to follow local guidance
Collecting recycling from households

Waste collection authorities are any local authority responsible for collecting household waste. They must collect the recyclable household waste streams for recycling or composting, or arrange for a private waste collector to do so.

Where there is a duty to collect waste under section 45(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 45A will apply in England.

Flats and communal properties

The requirements apply to all households including flats and communal properties.

For some flats and communal properties, it may be more suitable to use communal, on-site bins.

Isolated or inaccessible residences

Waste collection authorities must arrange for the collection of household waste from all households, unless the authority both:
- believes the place is so isolated or inaccessible that the cost of collecting it would be unreasonably high
- is satisfied that the person who controls the waste has made or can reasonably be expected to make suitable arrangements for the disposal of household waste
Collecting directly from the premises

You should collect recycling directly from the premises, wherever there is a duty to collect household waste. This applies for both dry recyclable and organic recyclable waste streams, even where a garden waste collection service has been requested.

You cannot provide comparable alternative arrangements. For example, operating a ‘bring bank’ recycling service, where the local authority provides a public container that households would need to bring their recycling to, would not fulfil the duty to collect household waste. These services should only be provided to supplement collections from households.

Collecting dry recyclable materials

You can decide how to collect dry recyclable waste streams, depending on local circumstances. For example, in multiple recycling bags or bins, or together in one container. You may need to produce a written assessment based on the mix of materials.

Collecting metal, glass and plastic together

You may choose to collect metal, glass and plastic separately from each other.

However, any combination of these materials can be collected together in one container. You do not need to complete a written assessment to explain this decision.

Collecting paper and card with metal, plastic and glass

You can collect paper and card together with any combination of other dry recyclables (metal, plastic or glass) if collecting them separately is:
- not technically practicable
- not economically practicable
- has no significant environmental benefit
You need to produce a short written assessment (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/collecting-paper-and-card-with-other-dry-recyclable-materials-written-assessments) to record the reason for your decision to collect paper and card together with other dry recyclable materials. You do not need to submit this assessment but you should keep it on record.

You can use the free tool for writing a written assessment on the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) website (https://www.wrap.ngo/taking-action/collections-recycling/eteep-tool).

You cannot use an assessment to justify not collecting any of the dry recyclable waste streams.

Metal lids and caps

Loose metal lids should be included in the metal waste stream.

Metal lids and caps on glass containers (for example, metal jam jar lids) can be left on and recycled with glass. Putting the lids or caps back on glass jars and bottles and recycling them with glass reduces the chance of them getting lost through the sorting process.

Collection frequency

You can choose the most appropriate collections frequency and methodology for the dry recyclable waste streams to meet the needs of their local communities.

Read guidance on ensuring good waste collection services to households (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ensuring-good-waste-collection-services-for-households).

Collecting food and garden waste

Food waste and caddy liners

Food waste must be collected weekly and free of charge.

Two bins should be provided to each household for food waste – a small bin suitable for the kitchen (often called a caddy) and a larger bin for outside (for collection).

There is no requirement for caddy liners to be provided to households or for them to be used.

Where liners are used, you should promote the use of liners that have the lowest carbon and wider environmental impacts.

This could include liners made from:
- bio-based biodegradable plastic
- bio-based compostable plastic
- bio-based non-compostable plastic
- fossil-based non-compostable plastic (for example, polyethylene)
- bio or fossil-based recyclable plastic
- paper
- repurposed plastic bags (originally intended for purposes other than food waste collection)
- reused newspaper
We do not recommend liners made from:
- fossil-based biodegradable plastic
- fossil-based compostable plastic
The list of recommended liner materials will be reviewed regularly.

Garden waste

Waste collection authorities only have a duty to collect garden waste if the household has requested the service and paid any related charges.

You can choose to collect food and garden waste together in one container, without the need to complete a written assessment. If food and garden waste are collected together, this service must be provided weekly to meet the requirement for weekly food waste collections from households.

Where food and garden waste are collected together, the waste collection authority is only permitted to charge for the collection of garden waste. Householders should be made aware that they do not need to have a garden waste service (if they do not want to pay for one) and that they are still entitled to a free weekly food waste collection.

Windfall fruit (fruit falling from fruit trees) must be collected if it is put in the garden waste or the food waste stream. However, waste collection authorities can communicate their preferred waste stream.

Collection frequency

Food waste must be collected from all households at least weekly.

You can decide the frequency of garden waste collections. To maximise yields, we recommend that garden waste collections are made from all households with gardens over a period of at least 36 weeks in any calendar year. This may vary depending on local circumstances.

Promoting home composting

Where possible, we recommend that local authorities promote home composting. However, not all food waste is suitable for home composting, so organic waste collections must still be offered to all households. Find more information on home composting on the WRAP website (https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/guide/waste-prevention-activities/garden-waste/home-composting).

Treating food and garden waste

All food waste must be handled and treated in compliance with animal by-product (ABP) regulations (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/guidance-for-the-animal-by-product-industry).

The preferred method for treating separately collected food waste is by anaerobic digestion. This is a form of recycling where the digestate produced is of sufficient quality to be spread on land as fertiliser.

Where treatment by anaerobic digestion is not possible, including where food waste has been co-collected with garden waste, the waste may be sent to composting facilities compliant with ABP regulations. For example, in-vessel composting or forms of dry anaerobic digestion (which usually include a composting phase).

Garden waste collected separately from food waste should be sent for composting, typically open windrow composting. Open windrow composting facilities can accept windfall fruit.

Anaerobic digestion and composting plants must have an Environment Agency issued permit to treat food and garden waste. Digestate and compost should be of sufficient quality to be spread to land as a fertiliser.

Best practice is for digestate and compost to be produced in line with the Environment Agency’s quality protocols, including adherence to PAS 100/110 or other approved standards.

Transitional arrangements

From 31 March 2026, you must meet the Simpler Recycling requirements for household waste collections, unless there is a transitional arrangement in place.

A transitional arrangement means a local authority has a later implementation date for the collection of food waste set out in the commencement regulations (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/639/made). These local authorities must still collect the dry recyclable waste streams by 31 March 2026.

Additional guidance

You can find additional good practice guidance on waste and recycling collections on the WRAP website (https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/guide/good-practice-guidance-waste-and-recycling-collections). This guidance was funded by Defra and developed with input from local authorities, to help you deliver good quality services to people in England.