Rubbish and recycling in England: what’s changing and why it matters

Recycling rules across England have long been inconsistent – but that will change from Tuesday when the government’s Simpler Recycling legislation comes into effect.What are the new rules for recycling?Under the simpler recycling requirements for household waste collections, which come into force from 31 March, councils in England must provide separate collections for food and garden waste; paper and card; all other dry recyclable materials including glass, metal and plastic and cartons; and non-recyclable waste. The requirements apply to all households including flats and communal properties.The policy is designed to increase recycling rates and end the postcode lottery by streamlining collections. Recycling rates in England have stagnated at about 44% for several years, lagging behind Wales at 57% and Northern Ireland at about 50%. The government aims to achieve a municipal recycling rate of 65% by 2035.Mary Creagh, an environment minister, said councils had received a significant uplift in this year’s budget to help make the policy a success.What happens to recycling?Once collected, recycling is transported to materials recovery facilities, where it is sorted using magnets, optical scanners and air jets into paper, plastics, glass and metals. The separated materials are baled and sent to reprocessors to be turned into new products.Roughly half of recycled plastic collected in the UK is exported overseas, mostly to Turkey, the Netherlands and Malaysia. Exports of plastic waste to developing countries rose sharply last year.Industry figures say the export of plastic waste is undermining the growth of the plastic recycling sector, which is estimated to have the potential to generate £2bn and support about 5,000 jobs.According to industry data, 21 plastic recycling and processing facilities across the UK have closed over the past two years, citing the scale of exports, low virgin plastic prices and competition from cheaper imports from Asia.While the EU has agreed to ban exports to developing countries, the UK has yet to adopt a similar policy, despite commitments from successive governments.Some 3.4m to 4.3m tonnes of paper and cardboard waste are exported each year for recycling.What is happening with food waste?This is one of the most significant changes – from Tuesday, all councils are required to collect food waste from households on a weekly basis, free of charge. Each household should be provided with two bins: a small kitchen caddy and a larger outdoor bin for collection.When recycled separately, food waste can be processed through anaerobic digestion to generate renewable energy and produce biofertiliser for farming.The policy aims to reduce the amount of food waste thrown away in general rubbish, where it would otherwise decompose in landfill sites and release greenhouse gases – particularly methane, which is more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide.It is also expected that the rollout of universal food waste collections will encourage households to become aware of how much waste they produce.Why have recycling rules varied across England up to now?Fragmented local policies, varying infrastructure, housing types and socioeconomic factors have contributed to variations in recycling rates. Local authorities operate differing regimes – some collect waste weekly, others fortnightly; some require materials to be separated, while others use mixed recycling. Not all councils collect the same items, and many areas that have not collected food waste or certain plastic items have tended to record lower recycling rates.Will every council implement the changes straight away?Not all councils collect the same items. Photograph: tagphoto/Getty Images/iStockphotoThere is a transitional period for councils to implement the changes. The government says 31 councils have bespoke transitional arrangements that allow them to delay food waste collection beyond Tuesday.However, all councils must still meet the 31 March deadline to standardise dry recycling collections, covering glass, metal, plastic, paper and card.What happens if recycling is thrown away incorrectly?If biodegradable or compostable plastics are mixed with recyclable plastics, they can corrupt the entire batch. The so-called more sustainable plastics are made from different materials and should not be placed in regular plastic recycling.Similarly, if recyclable items such as paper and cardboard are put into residual waste, they are likely to be sent to landfill or incineration rather than recycled – resulting in higher greenhouses gases, particularly methane.What about toothpaste tubes?Toothpaste tubes have long been difficult to recycle due to the multiple materials used in their construction. However, an initiative coordinated by Wrap, the global waste NGO, means most toothpaste tubes are now designed to be 100% recyclable. You can check whether your council accepts them; if not, Boots also collects toothpaste tubes for recycling.