The UK government has confirmed that English councils are not obliged to collect several common household items for recycling if left out on bin day, even under the new Simpler Recycling regulations. These items span six broad categories, including certain types of glass, metals, plastics, paper and card, food, and garden waste.
New Rules and Deferred Plastic Film Requirement
The Simpler Recycling regulations took effect in March 2026, requiring all English local authorities to collect food and garden waste, paper and card, all other dry recyclable materials (glass, metal and plastic, including cartons), and residual waste separately.
The government has also deferred a rule that had been due to come in early next year. From March 2027, all English local authorities were expected to collect plastic bags and film from every household, but the government has pushed this back to April 2030 for workplaces and households.
Items Councils Do Not Have to Collect
Under the rules, councils do not need to collect glass not used as packaging, including candles, drinking glasses, flat glass, glass cookware, light bulbs and tubes, microwave plates, mirrors, vases, window glass, and ceramics such as crockery or earthenware.
Metal items exempt from collection include laminated foil (such as pet food and coffee pouches), electrical items and batteries, general kitchenware like cutlery, pots and pans, kettles, irons, pipes, and metal packaging that has contained white spirits, paints, engine oils or antifreeze.
Plastic items councils do not have to collect include any packaging or non-packaging items labelled as compostable or biodegradable, including coffee pods, plastic bottles that have contained white spirits, paints, engine oils or antifreeze, bulky rigid plastics such as garden furniture, bins and plastic toys, polystyrene packaging, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) packaging.
Paper, Food and Garden Waste Exemptions
Exempt paper and card products include food and drinks cartons made of a fibre-based composite (which should be collected with plastics), absorbent hygiene products including nappies, period products and incontinence products, wet wipes, cotton wool or makeup pads, and tissue or toilet paper.
Food products that councils do not need to collect include any plastic packaging or non-packaging items labelled as compostable or biodegradable, including coffee pods. For garden waste, exemptions cover animal bedding, bulky waste (including garden furniture and fencing), garden tools or other gardening equipment, plant pots, plastics, sand, sawdust, stone, gravel or bricks, and tea bags or coffee grounds.
The government said the rules aim to standardise waste collection across the country and boost recycling rates, ending what it described as the "muddled and confusing patchwork of approaches to bin collections." Residents are advised to check their local council rules if in doubt, as variations may still exist in what different councils can recycle.
