Simpler recycling for households

Simpler recycling is a national scheme that covers all of England. 

The aim is to simplify and standardise the materials we all recycle. The changes will affect you, whether you live in a house or a flat.

Changes to your recycling collections from 1 April 2026

If your next recycling collection is now due on or after 1 April 2026 there are new items you can add to your recycling, including:

• aluminium foil, such as clean kitchen foil and foil trays
• cartons, including milk, juice, soup and plant‑based drinks
• plastic pots, tubs and trays, such as fruit punnets, meat trays and cream cheese tubs
• plastic tubes, such as toothpaste and cosmetic tubes
• aluminium bottles, such as shampoo, soap and empty aerosol bottles
• aluminium tubes, including tomato purée tubes
• metal jar and bottle lids

Please place all lids back on items after rinsing and drying them, including trigger and pump sprays.

Please do not put loose trigger or pump sprays in the recycling bin. Place these in your green or black household waste bin.

Nothing has changed about what you can already recycle. All existing items will continue to be collected as normal. 

What simpler recycling involves

All English councils have to provide different types of recycling collections from specific dates. 

National changes from 31 March 2026

From 31 March 2026, all councils have to start providing recycling collections for:

• glass, including bottles and jars
• paper
• card
• metals, including food and drinks containers, empty aerosols and clean foil
• plastics, including bottles, tubs, pots, tubes and trays
• food waste 

The government however have agreed that we can start our food waste collections from October 2027.

National changes from 31 March 2027

From 31 March 2027, all councils have to provide recycling collections for plastic film, including packaging and plastic bags. Please do not recycle these until then. We will provide further information about this closer to the time.