New recycling rules came into force in England earlier this week to simplify what you can and can’t put in your recycling bin at home. new, Simple recycling rules that came into force on 31st March This means that all councils now need to accept the same items and categorize them in the same way across the country.
While this means that there are some everyday household items that you can no longer recycle at home, there are also many other items that your council should be collecting that they may not have accepted in the past.
Article continues below
- Food and garden waste
- Paper and card
- All other dry recyclable materials (including glass, metal and plastic, cartons)
- Residual waste (non-recyclable waste)
In some circumstances councils may collect paper, card and dry recyclables together, so please check your council’s website. Under the new rules this is what you can recycle in each category.
Paper and card
Clean paper and card can be added to a recycling bin and collected together. This includes:
- Newspapers and magazines
- Envelopes (removing any plastic window)
- Flattened cardboard packaging eg, cereal boxes or toilet roll holders
- Office paper
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Other dry recyclables
Jars, plastic and metal can be combined in a bin for collection. You can choose to separate them from each other, but any combination of the three can be recycled together. This includes:
- Bottles, jars and cans used for food and beverage packaging (if they are clean and dry Avoid contamination)
- Foil packaging
- Bottles of shampoo and conditioner
- Empty aerosol cans
- Rinsed food tins eg, soup cans or pet food tins
(Image credit: Future plc)
Food and garden waste
Food waste collection is one of the biggest changes that have come as part of the new regulations. Every council is now required to collect food waste from households on a weekly basis. Households in England will be provided with a large outdoor bin and kitchen caddy, in which they must dispose of any food. This includes:
- All uneaten food and plate scrapings
- Baked goods such as bread, cakes and pastries
- Dairy products, eggs and egg shells
- Fruits and vegetables, including raw and cooked vegetables and peels
- Old or moldy food
- pet food
- Raw and cooked meat or fish, including bones
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
Councils do not have to collect garden waste under the new rules, but they can choose to collect it with food waste. If your council collects garden waste, make sure you check What can’t go in your garden waste under the new guidelines.
While the new recycling rules may take some time to get used to, they are designed to create a more efficient and environmentally friendly system in the long run.
Claire Shrewsbury, Director Insights and Innovation at Climate Action NGO Rep (Waste and Resources Action Programme), a global environmental action company, said: ‘We are a nation of recyclers, but most households put two or more items in the bin every week that could be recycled – because of confusion. Making recycling easier will help end this and if we all recycled one more trigger spray each week, we would save enough energy to power every home in Birmingham for a year.’
With a little awareness – and a quick check of your local council’s guidelines – you can stay on top of the changes and continue recycling confidently at home.
Joseph Joseph
Stack 4l Stone Food Waste Kd
If you’re new to food waste collection, instead of a council-issued kitchen caddy, you can opt to use a cute food waste bin like this one from Joseph Joseph, which has reviews.
Dunelm
Tower 60l Recycling Paddle Bin with Drawer
If separating waste into four categories is new to your household, a separate bin like this one can make the job a lot easier.
Joseph Joseph
Totem Max 60l Stone Waste and Recycling Bin
This box may be expensive, but it is extremely clever. It has a bin for recycling and food waste, which will do the trick if your household needs a reminder before binning everything.
