Major change to rubbish rules will scrap some of your bins

Cauldon Road, in Shelton, before the new communal bin system was introduced
Bins in a Stoke-on-Trent street -Credit:Pat Smith


Sweeping changes to bin collection regulations are set to simplify recycling for households across England, the Government has confirmed. The Environment Department (Defra) revealed on Friday that a uniform set of materials will be collected from homes, workplaces, and schools nationwide, aiming to eliminate the current confusion stemming from varied council-specific systems.

It is expected to mean that Newcastle Borough Council's current bin system will be simplified from the current five containers. It will also see the reintroduction of a weekly food waste collection for those living under Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Under the forthcoming guidelines, residents will be able to dispose of plastics, metals, glass, paper, and cardboard in a single bin. Additionally, councils will have the option to gather food and garden waste together.

Defra has stated that these reforms will spare households the hassle of determining which items their local council accepts for recycling. The changes are expected to streamline the process for waste collectors and enhance overall recycling figures.

READ: New £1.7m food waste collection service for 119,000 Stoke-on-Trent homes The government has told all councils in England to bring in food waste collections by 2026

READ: Driver wins £46k council payout for hitting monster pothole in Stoke-on-Trent as 978 make claims - Stoke-on-Trent City Council has paid £371,914 in compensation to drivers since 2020

In a related move, the Government is also assisting local authorities to step up the frequency of bin collections to avoid the unsightly buildup of bins on streets. A minimum standard will be established, mandating councils to carry out black bin waste collections at least every two weeks, with food waste pickups occurring weekly.

Recycling Minister Robbie Moore commented: "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."

Paul Vanston, Chief Executive of the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN), voiced his support saying: "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."

Defra assures that these plans will cover all housing in England, inclusive of flats. They've also mentioned identical procedures will extend to non-residential municipal premises such as businesses, hospitals, schools and universities, places of worship, penal facilities, charitable shops, hostels, and public assembly venues.

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