The 10 items banned from garden bins under England’s new rubbish rules | Nature | News
Ten household items have been banned from being thrown into garden waste bins under new collection rules across English councils. Hoping to end the litter ‘postcode lottery’, the Government has told councils to introduce the new standardized system from 31 March; Some councils have already announced they will collect black bins less frequently.
The changes are designed to create a more consistent system across England, following years of disputes between local authorities over what can and cannot be recycled. The government hopes this will also reduce the amount of contaminated waste so less recycling goes to landfill. However, households may have to replace the things they throw into garden waste bins. The government has outlined 10 garden waste items that councils do not need to collect; however, this previously varied by region.
Councils do not need to meet:
- animal bed
- bulky waste (including garden furniture and fences)
- garden tools or other garden equipment
- flower pots
- plastic
- sand
- sawdust
- stone, gravel or brick
- tea bags or coffee grounds
- Branches and trees over a certain size may need to be cut into smaller pieces to comply with local guidelines
If households are stuck, they can dispose of garden waste by taking it to local waste recycling centers or turning certain items, such as coffee grounds, into compost.
The ‘simpler recycling’ scheme could also ensure that garden waste lasts much longer than before. While the government allows councils to decide the frequency of garden waste bins, it recommends collections occur at least every 36 weeks, meaning waste can sit around for eight to nine months.
There are four waste streams under the new system. Food and garden waste are lumped together, as is paper and cardboard. Other dry recyclables such as glass, metal and plastic will have a separate bin and there will be a bin for residual waste.
Stating that paper and cardboard can be collected together with other dry recyclable materials in certain cases, the Government said that this will allow local governments to provide the best service for their communities.
