Households in England will be able to put recyclables in one bin

Households in England will be able to put recyclables in one bin under simpler collection rules, the government has announced.

The Environment Department (Defra) announced on Thursday that the same materials will be collected from homes, workplaces and schools across the country in order to end the confusion caused by councils operating different systems.

Under the new rules, people will be able to put plastic, metal, glass, paper and card in one bin. Councils will also be able to co-collect food and garden waste.

Defra said the new measures will mean households no longer have to check which materials their specific council will accept for recycling.

They will also reduce complexity for waste collectors and boost recycling rates, it added.

Elsewhere, the government said it is supporting councils to increase the frequency of collections in a bid to prevent bins from cluttering streets.

A minimum backstop will be introduced so that councils are expected to collect black bin waste at least fortnightly, alongside weekly food waste collections, it announced.

Recycling Minister Robbie Moore said 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," he added.

Paul Vanston, chief executive of the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN), said households can take this government announcement as a pledge that local councils all over the country "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 said the plans will apply to all homes in England, including flats.

Similar measures will apply to non-household premises, including businesses, hospitals, schools and universities and places of worship.

Responding to the government’s announcement, Cllr Darren Rodwell, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: “Public satisfaction with local waste services remains very high, which councils have worked hard to achieve.

“What works in urban centres is different to rural communities. We are pleased the government has listened to the LGA and decided to allow councils to retain some of the flexibilities in how collect waste from people’s homes.

"However, this flexibility should extend to frequency of collections in whatever way best supports communities to reduce waste and improve recycling.

“Our national ambitions for waste and recycling will only be achieved by fully empowered local delivery, alongside measures transferring the costs from taxpayers onto the waste producers.”

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