Government Confirms Timeline for Simpler Recycling Reforms

The UK government has outlined the next steps in the Simpler Recycling reforms, facilitating local authorities and waste collectors in implementing a straightforward and efficient recycling approach.

On Thursday 9th May 2024, Defra released two government responses detailing decisions regarding the Simpler Recycling reforms.

As previously announced in October 2023, Simpler Recycling in England requires that all non-household municipal premises, including businesses, hospitals, and schools, must start collecting the same materials by 31st March 2025. Households must comply by 31st March 2026, while micro-firms (with fewer than 10 full-time employees) have until 31st March 2027, to meet the requirements.

Simpler Recycling will be implemented as follows:

• By 31^st March 2025, businesses, and non-domestic premises (except micro-firms), will be required to recycle all recyclable waste streams: metal, glass, plastic, paper, card, and food waste (excluding garden waste and plastic film).
• By 31^st March 2026, local authorities will be required to collect all six recyclable waste streams (excluding plastic film), from all households. Local authorities must collect food waste weekly (except where a transitional arrangement applies, affected local authorities will have a later implementation date set in regulations).
• By 31^st March 2027, micro-firms (businesses and non-domestic premises with less than 10 full-time equivalent employees) will be required to recycle all recyclable waste streams (excluding garden waste). Plastic film collections from all households, businesses and non-domestic premises will also begin.

Defra’s response to the consultation on exemptions and statutory guidance for Simpler Recycling in England outlines how recyclable materials should be collected. Exemptions will allow the collection of all dry recyclables (paper, card, plastic, metal, glass) in one container, and food and garden waste in another. Consequently, households will be provided with a minimum of three bins: one for residual waste, one for dry recyclables, and one for organic waste. To maintain cleanliness and hygiene, statutory requirements will ensure a minimum fortnightly collection of residual waste and a weekly collection of food waste.

Defra aims to introduce regulations for the new Simpler Recycling legislation before the summer recess. Subject to parliamentary approval, final statutory guidance will then be published. This legislation complements regulations for Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging and the Deposit Return Scheme for drink containers, forming a comprehensive set of collection and packaging reforms. With the implementation of these policies and their intended aims, the cost of recycling should decrease. This will be achieved through the introduction of better materials into the market, increased collection volumes, and higher collection rates of higher quality materials. Consequently, this will lead to an increased production rate of Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs), ultimately lowering the cost of compliance by reducing PRN prices.

To support the rollout of weekly food waste collections across England, Defra is providing up to £295 million in capital funding for additional bins and vehicles. Additional resource funding will be available from 2024/25 to assist local authorities in transitioning to these weekly collections, with ongoing support from April 1, 2026.

Simpler Recycling is a crucial step toward achieving the 25-Year Environment Plan goal of eliminating avoidable waste by 2050. It will contribute to the target of recycling 65% of municipal waste by 2035, result in significant carbon savings, and support net zero objectives.