Homeowners to see new bin collection rule come into force, government says

Households in England will change the way they recycle under new simpler bin collection rules, the government says.

Recyclables will be put into one bin by households in England.

The Environment Department (Defra) announced on Friday that the same materials will be collected from homes, workplaces and schools across the country in order to end the confusion caused by councils operating different systems.

The new rules will mean people will be able to put plastic, metal, glass, paper and card in one bin.

All recycling will go in the same bin under the new rules (Image: Canva)

New bin rules to change the way you recycle at home

Councils will also be able to co-collect food and garden waste.

The new measures will mean households can stop checking which materials their specific council will accept for recycling, Defra said.

It added that the measures will reduce complexity for waste collectors and boost recycling rates.

Elsewhere, the government said it is supporting councils to increase the frequency of collections to prevent bins from cluttering streets.

A minimum backstop will be introduced so that councils are expected to collect black bin waste at least fortnightly alongside weekly food waste collections, it announced.

Recycling Minister Robbie Moore said: “We all want to do our bit to increase recycling and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill – but a patchwork of different bin collections across England means it can be hard to know what your council will accept.

“Our plans for Simpler Recycling will end that confusion: ensuring that the same set of materials will be collected regardless of where you live.”

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Paul Vanston, chief executive of the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN), said: “Householders can take this government announcement as a pledge that, wherever we live across the nation, our local councils will all speedily implement recycling collections of the full range of materials that will match on-pack recycling labels citizens rely on for guidance.”

The plans will apply to all homes in England, including flats, Defra said.

Similar measures will apply to non-household municipal premises, including businesses, hospitals, schools and universities, places of worship, penal institutes, charity shops, hostels and public meeting places.