Items not allowed in new food waste bins being sent out in England | UK | News

Households across England are starting to receive new food waste recycling bins sent out by local councils as part of new government rule changes. As of March 2026, all local authorities in England are required by law to collect kerbside food waste every week as part of Simpler Recycling reforms.

The government’s Simpler Recycling scheme is designed to increase recycling rates and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill or incinerators. The collected waste is sent to anaerobic digestion facilities and converted into renewable energy and fertilizer.

Despite the legislation being in place, around a third of municipalities are experiencing delays in their transition programs due to existing waste contracts. Due to delays, not all residents were able to get their bins at the same time.

Some areas have had new bins delivered, others have just been delivered, or are still waiting, or aren’t expected to receive bins until the end of this year or possibly early 2027. There are now new food waste rules that those who have submitted their own bins must follow; these include only putting certain items in new bins.

This means many homes in the UK will have more than one recycling bin. Waste collectors are now required by default to collect different types of waste separately from households, including:

Under new Simpler Recycling rules introduced in England, local councils are required to collect food waste from every household weekly. Families need to keep their organic waste separate from regular garbage.

How do the new food waste recycling bins work?

Houses will have three new items to use. The first is a closed box, which is a small, compact 5L-7L box designed to be stored in the kitchen for the collection of daily food waste.

The second is a larger, lockable outdoor carrier into which you can empty the contents of the smaller one. The third is a roller liner. Households are not required to use liners, but they can use newspaper, unbleached paper bags, or certified compostable liners to keep carriers clean.

What items can you put in new food waste recycling bins?

• Cooked and uncooked foods, Including meat, fish and bones.
• Dairy products and eggshells.
• Fruit and vegetable peelsplate scrapings and residues.
• bakery products such as bread, pasta, cereal and rice.
• tea bags and coffee grounds.
• the rest and expired food.

What items are not allowed in new food waste recycling bins?

• liquids such as oils, fats, soups and beverages.
• Packaging of any kind, including plastic packaging and non-compostable food containers (except liners).
• Compostable or bio-plastics (unless otherwise stated by your local municipality).
• Garden waste and flowers (they are collected separately so they can be processed through traditional open composting).
• Glass and metal.
• Baby diapers.
• General domestic waste.

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said: “We’re ending the bin collection postcode lottery and making it easier for people to recycle wherever they live. Simplifying these rules will reduce carbon, clean up our streets and help bring pride back to our communities. We’ll 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.”