New recycling rules to affect every household in England from 31st March 2026

Simpler Recycling legislation is being implemented by the UK government across England to standardise recycling collections and make recycling easier to understand and follow.

Currently, recycling systems vary significantly between local authorities, creating confusion for both households and businesses about what can and can’t be recycled.

By 31st March 2026, local authorities will all be required to collect the same core materials from households across England – food, garden waste, paper, cardboard, glass and metal.

The policy framework has been introduced in phases with businesses with 10 or more full-time equivalent employees required to comply since 31 March 2025, and micro-businesses coming into scope from 31st March 2027.

This legislation is being introduced alongside a number of other reforms including Extended Producer Responsibility and a UK-wide Deposit Return Scheme to address some of the structural challenges that have held back England’s recycling rates, which have plateaued in recent years and are now hovering around 43-44%.

One of the key issues has been the lack of consistency in recycling collections between local authorities, which has caused confusion for households and contributed to higher contamination levels and reduced recycling quality. Our industry regularly see an average of around 12% of all mixed recyclable waste - often a mixture of paper, card, metals and plastics - contaminated, preventing materials from being recycled effectively and returned into the circular economy.

A more standardised system, supported by clearer and more consistent labelling on exactly which materials should be placed in each bin, will make recycling simpler for households, help reduce contamination, and minimise disposal costs paid by local authorities when they dispose of household waste.“While there is a long way to go to deliver a national recycling rate of 65% by 2035, if implemented effectively, this legislation will help improve participation, increase recycling rates and drive a major shift towards a more circular economy.

David Gudgeon, Head of External Affairs at Reconomy brand, Casepak.