New government rules are set to standardize recycling in England, requiring all homes, businesses, and schools to recycle the same materials. These changes, set to take effect in just over a year, aim to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.
A minimum requirement for food waste collection once a week will also be introduced as part of the effort to improve recycling. Currently, recycling collections vary by location, leading to a "postcode lottery." However, residents may be required to pay for these changes, with concerns that this could result in higher costs for councils, potentially leading to more charges for taxpayers.
The government has promised to provide "reasonable funding" to cover the additional costs, funded by new burdens and Extended Producer Responsibility payments. These changes will only apply to residents in England, as Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland set their own recycling policies. There are also proposals to expand the rules to cover places of worship, prisons, charity shops, and residential hostels.
The government is also considering collecting residual waste every fortnight, which has raised environmental concerns. Additionally, there are plans to introduce free garden waste collections for every home, but this may result in non-users subsidizing the service for others.
The current recycling rate in England is just over 44%, and the government is implementing measures, such as the recent ban on single-use plastics, to increase recycling rates further.