Households in England will be able to dispose of all their recyclables in one bin, according to government plans aimed at boosting recycling rates.
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says councils up and down the country will be able to collect food and garden waste together.
Defra said the same materials will be collected from homes, workplaces and schools across England by councils.
This means that households will no longer have to check which materials their council will take for recycling.
It says the move will boost recycling rates and stop the confusion caused by councils running different waste systems.
It is unclear when the new rules will come into place.
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Recycling minister Robbie Moore said: “We all want to do our bit to increase recycling and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill – but 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.”
The government is also supporting more frequent and comprehensive bin collections.
Councils will be expected to collect black bin waste at least fortnightly, alongside weekly food waste collections.
Defra hopes it will stop the trend – seen outside England – towards three-weekly or four-weekly bin collections.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that a government consultation was underway to gather feedback from food companies and hospitality businesses over government plans to reintroduce mandatory reporting on food waste.
1 Comment. Leave new
Hello,
Please save time and money and reduce councils’ carbon footprints! Most residents pay council tax and expect the council to collect their Normal waste and recycling so put out their bins because they have paid, not because the bins are full. Without considering the consequences, carbon emissions and costs, they would do it every day. They feel they are getting their money’s worth. What they do not realise is that less frequent collections are cheaper, use less fuel and all in all would help their council to spend less and be more carbon efficient. Please, please don’t make councils waste more time and money. Help them to save money and reduce their carbon footprint by reducing the collections.
I’m happy to explain the theory and my practical experience. Thank you.