Another bin could be on the way

UK households to receive up to four bins under new recycling rules to simplify waste separation© Donna Clifford/Reachplc

In a bid to streamline recycling practices, new guidance issued to local councils could see households being provided with up to four bins for waste separation. The proposed plan instructs local authorities to supply residents and workplaces with four containers: one for non-recyclable waste, another for food and green waste, a third for paper and cardboard, and a fourth for other recyclables.

Presently, some households are mandated by law to segregate waste into seven bins. However, under the new scheme, the four containers could take the form of bins, bags or stackable boxes

The current legislation, introduced in 2021, categorised recycling as glass, plastic, food waste, paper and card, leading some authorities to issue individual bins for each category. The updated rules will be implemented for business recyclable waste collection from March 31 next year, and will extend to residential households a year later.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed expressed concern over communities grappling with an “avalanche of rubbish” in streets, rivers and seas. He stated, “Today we end the Conservative fiasco that would force households across the country to have seven bins,”.

He added, “This Labour Government is ending the Wild West and introducing a streamlined approach to recycling to end to the postcode lottery, simplify bin collections and clean up our streets for good.”, reports Wales Online.

The new guidelines also stipulate that from March 31, 2026, all waste authorities should provide weekly food waste collections from households, enabling people to “dispose of odorous organic waste frequently”.

Household recycling rates in England have plateaued at 45% since 2015, as per Government figures. The Government has clarified that the four-bin default requirement is unlikely to rise in the future, allowing councils and waste collectors to “still have the flexibility to make the best choices to suit local need”.

In a recent year, English households disposed of 5.6 million tonnes of packaging, reveals a study backed by the Local Government Association (LGA), County Councils Network (CCN), and District Councils Network (DCN). The analysis showed that out of this, 3.2 million tonnes ended up in recycling bins, 2.3 million tonnes were tossed into residual or “black” bins, while 70,000 tonnes were incorrectly thrown in with food waste.