Updated Monday 31st March 2025
In November 2024, Defra published a
- Workplace recycling in England – Guidance from 31 March 2025 (or 31 March 2027 for micro-firms) for waste collectors and workplaces on separating dry recyclables, food waste and black bin waste.
- Clarifies various elements of the requirements for workplaces, including which workplaces must follow the new rules, what obligations businesses have to separate dry recyclable waste, how businesses can find an appropriate waste collector, legal requirements and support available for workplaces and waste collectors, and non-compliance reporting.
- Household Recycling in England Guidance – Guidance for waste collectors on household recycling requirements in England, which change on 31 March 2026.
- Materials authorities need not collect: For food waste streams, collectors are not required to collect items labelled as ‘compostable’ or ‘biodegradable.’ However, biobased caddy liners may be collected. For Garden waste streams, collection authorities are not required to collect animal bedding, gardening equipment, plastic, sand, stones, gravel, or bricks, bulky waste, etc.
- Collecting food waste: Additional guidance for collecting food waste covers the types of bins that should be provided and the preferred types of liners to be used. Collection authorities are not required to provide caddy liners, nor are householders required to use them when disposing household food waste. Food waste must be collected at least weekly.
- Collecting garden waste: Waste collection authorities are required to collect garden waste only if the householder has requested the service and paid related charges. Food and garden waste may be collected together without the need for a written assessment. If collection authorities opt to co-collect food and garden waste, this service must be provided on a weekly basis to meet food waste collection requirements and householders can request only to have food waste collected if they do not want to pay for garden waste collection. It is recommended that garden waste collections are made over 36 weeks in any calendar year.
- The guidance also contains info on home composting, treating organic waste, and transitional arrangements
- The guidance states: ‘The preferred method for treating separately collected food waste is by anaerobic digestion… Where treatment by anaerobic digestion is not possible, including where food waste has been co-collected with garden waste, the waste may be sent to composting facilities compliant with ABP regulations. For example, in-vessel composting or forms of dry anaerobic digestion (which usually include a composting phase). Garden waste collected separately from food waste should be sent for composting.’
- Ensuring good waste collection services for households – Guidance from 31 March 2026 for waste collection authorities in England on ensuring good waste collection services for households.
- ‘From 31 March 2026, waste collection authorities must provide weekly food waste collections from all households…’
- For other waste streams (e.g., residual and dry recyclable waste), collection authorities are advised to consider local needs and factors such as the type of premises, number of occupants, storage space available, etc. when determining waste collection frequency and methods.
- The Simpler Recycling Communications Toolkit can be used by local authorities and private waste collectors to help inform their staff and customers about the required changes. Defra is inviting feedback on the toolkit via a survey in order to continuously develop and expand the platform as businesses work to align with the rollout of Simper Recycling.
- The Business of Recycling website launched by Defra and WRAP provides a calculator tool to enable businesses to calculate the costs of their business waste, as well as further guidance tailored according to the type of workplace (e.g. guidance for offices, hospitality workplaces, healthcare facilities, etc.).