Tea bags and coffee grounds are among the items now banned from general waste bins under new recycling rules in England. The government has instructed councils to implement a standardised system to end the 'postcode lottery' of waste collection, with some councils already reducing black bin collections from March 31.
Under the Simpler Recycling scheme, food and garden waste must be collected separately. Councils are no longer required to collect tea bags, which can instead be composted at home or taken to local waste recycling centres. Coffee grounds are also included in the food waste category and must be disposed of accordingly.
The reforms, introduced under the Environment Act 2021, aim to create consistency across England. However, some councils are exempt until at least 2040, so households are urged to check with their local authority. The new system affects businesses, households, flats, and houses, with four waste streams: food and garden waste, paper and card, other dry recyclables (glass, metal, plastic), and residual waste.
Garden waste collection frequency is at councils' discretion, but recommendations suggest collections every 36 weeks, potentially leading to waits of eight to nine months. Households ignoring the new regulations risk having their bins left uncollected.
