All homes in England set for major new bin rules in 2026 | UK | News
A big change is coming to homes in 2026; At least four garbage bins become mandatory for household waste and recycling.
Authorities have announced that residents should adapt their recycling practices, while local councils have been instructed to upgrade their collection systems by March next year.
The Simpler Recycling initiative states that the new standard requirement for most homes and businesses will be four containers.
Officials say it will also eliminate the ‘postcode lottery’ of bin collections across England, where councils collect different materials for recycling, causing consternation among households.
The proposals state that four types of waste containers are for:
- residual (non-recyclable) waste
- Food waste (mixed with garden waste if appropriate)
- paper and card
- all other dry recyclable materials (plastic, metal and glass)
The above must be collected in every home, including apartments, by March 31, 2026. Plastic film packaging (such as chip packets) and plastic bags will need to be included in the scope of plastic recycling as of March 31, 2027.
Earlier this year, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature Mary Creagh said: “We determined that every local authority will be required to collect food waste for recycling by 31 March 2026. The initial regulations named a total of 31 local authorities who were provided with a special transitional arrangement delaying food waste collection requirements.
“It was recognized that these local authorities would need more time to introduce separate food waste collections for households due to the hurdles of long-term residual waste disposal contracts running beyond 31 March 2026.
“We have engaged extensively with affected local authorities. Transitional arrangements have been made available by Defra where evidence shows that existing long-term waste disposal contracts create an unavoidable barrier to the commencement of food waste collection by 31 March 2026.
“We will continue to work with local authorities to determine whether food waste collection and associated benefits can be brought forward before special transition arrangements end.”
The Ministry of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had previously outlined the items that municipalities do not need to collect under the new plan.
garden waste
Councils are not required to meet:
- bulky waste (including garden furniture and fences)
- flower pots
- sand
- tea bags or coffee grounds
- animal bed
- Branches and trees over a certain size may need to be cut into smaller pieces to comply with local guidelines
- sawdust
- plastic
- garden tools or other garden equipment
- stone, gravel or brick
food waste
Councils are not required to collect plastic packaging or unpackaged items labeled as ‘compostable’ or ‘biodegradable’, including coffee pods. Food waste bin liners used to hold food waste can be collected.
Glass
Municipalities are not obliged to collect glass that is not used as packaging. This includes:
- glasses
- glass baking dish (such as Pyrex)
- vases
- bulbs and tubes
- microwave plates
- ceramics, such as pottery or earthenware
- mirrors
- candles
- flat glass
- window glass
paper and card
- Councils are not required to meet:
- tissues or toilet paper
- Food and beverage cartons made from fibre-based composite (these should be collected in the plastic stream)
- cotton wool or makeup pads
- absorbent hygiene products (AHPs), including diapers, menstrual products, and incontinence products
- baby wipes
For more information on items that municipalities do not collect Click here
