Simpler Recycling: The facts

You may have seen some recent media coverage about changes to recycling collections in England. Unfortunately, the reports included some big inaccuracies.

The information on this page explains the national rule changes and how these will be introduced in Wychavon.

What are the new national Simpler Recycling rules?

Currently every council in England is free to operate its own waste and recycling service. This means the material you can recycle and the type of collection service you will receive will vary from area to area. This is confusing for residents and in some areas results in people having seven bins to deal with. It also makes it harder to communicate consistent messages around recycling to make it easy for people to do the right thing.

So, from March 31 2026 the Government is introducing a set of standard rules every council should follow, unless there are specific reasons why they can’t (more on this later). The aim is to simplify the system and boost recycling rates.

Under the new rules, the maximum number of bins or containers each council can issue a household is as follows:

• residual (non-recyclable) waste
• food waste (mixed with garden waste if appropriate)
• paper and card
• all other dry recyclable materials (plastic, metal and glass)

They do not all have to be wheeled bins. They can be a mix of wheeled bins, containers, bags, or stackable boxes.

Councils have flexibility to decide how best to implement these rules to suit their local needs but should only differ from the rules where it would not be possible for technical or economic reasons.

The Simpler Recycling system also sets out the specific list of materials all English councils must collect. These are all the usual things you are already used to putting in your recycling like plastic pots tubs, trays, aluminium cans, newspapers, magazines etc, with two new additions for our area of foil from 31 March 2026 and from March 2027 plastic film.

What’s changing in Wychavon?

Very little will change for Wychavon residents but for ease, here is how our system will work from 31 March 2026:

• The number of waste and recycling bins you have will remain the same. A green bin for recycling and a black bin for general waste. Households in areas we can’t get collection vehicles to will remain on sack collections. Arrangements for flats and other communal properties remain unchanged.
• Residents will continue to put all recycling material in the same green bin.
• Collections will continue to take place every fortnight as they do now. There will be no changes to collection schedules or calendars. We have no plans to reduce the frequency of collections.
• From 31 March 2026, residents will be able to put clean aluminium foil in their green recycling bin.
• We are not introducing food waste collections yet, because of contract and value for money issues complicated by Local Government Reorganisation. Please see Wychavon’s statement on delays to food waste collections for more information.
• From 31 March 2027, residents will also be able to recycle plastic film (e.g frozen food packaging) in their green bin as well. For now this should go in your black bin or be taken to a soft plastic recycling point at your local supermarket.

While we welcome the new Simpler Recycling rules, we do not believe the default system of four bins is the right one for us. Co-mingled recycling (putting all items in a single green bin) has worked well for our residents since its introduction in the mid-to-late-2000s.

We have one of the lowest rates of contamination (people putting the wrong items in the recycling bin and damaging other material) and one of the highest recycling rates in the region.

We believe introducing another container and asking people to separate out their paper and card will act as a barrier to people recycling correctly, cause operational challenges in a rural district like ours and significantly increase costs.

That’s why, as set out above, there will be very little change for residents in our area. We will continue to invest in tools and information to help our residents recycle as much as they can and in a way that limits contamination.

The "banned" list of items

One of the really big pieces of misinformation in media reporting on this issue is the so-called 37 items you are banned from disposing of under the new rules.

To be clear, there is no such “banned list”. Under the Simpler Recycling scheme, the Government has given councils a list of items they must collect and a list they do not have to collect (but can do if they wish). These items are already ones that we don’t accept in the recycling bin under Wychavon’s current recycling scheme. In most cases they are items that you can still put in your black bin or take to a Household Recycling Centre. Others, like batteries and electrical items, need to be disposed of in a certain way to meet environmental protection laws. This is already the case.

For transparency, here is the list of "banned items" and advice on how you can dispose of them.

Glass and other

• Candles – donate to charity or please put in your black bin
• drinking glasses – if unbroken please donate to charity. If broken, wrap carefully in newspaper and place in your black bin.
• flat glass  – this can be disposed of at a Household Recycling Centre.
• glass cookware (such as Pyrex) – donate to charity if in good condition or put in your black bin
• light bulbs and tubes – these can be recycled at Household Recycling Centre or some supermarkets. Please check in store. Incandescent lightbulbs can also go in your black bin, but LED/halogen bulbs must be recycled due to the materials in them.
• microwave plates – these can go in your black bin
• mirrors – these can go in your black bin or donate to charity if good quality.
• Vases – donate to charity or put in your black bin
• window glass – this can be disposed of at a Household Recycling Centre.
• ceramics, such as crockery or earthenware – donate to charity or they can go in your black bin or a Household Recycling Centre.

Metal

• laminated foil, like pet food pouches and coffee pouches – please put these in your black bin even after 31 March 2026. Some companies do offer there own recycling schemes. Check on the packaging for information.
• electrical items – small electrical items can be put out on top of your black bin and we will take them for recycling. Large electrical items should be taken to a Household Recycling Centre or given to a properly licensed waste collector for proper disposal.
• Batteries – take these to battery recycling points at supermarkets, large retailers or put in a clear bag and put on top of your black bin and we will take for recycling.  Please do not put in either your green or black bin as they could cause a fire in either the collection vehicle or recycling plant, which is not only dangerous, but could cause damage to vehicles and the environment.
• general kitchenware like cutlery, pots and pans – some charities will take them for reuse if in good condition or take to a Household Recycling Centre.
• kettles – see small electricals
• irons – see small electricals
• pipes – take to a household recycling centre
• metal packaging that has contained white spirits, paints, engine oils or antifreeze – full or empty take to a Household Recycling Centre or if empty put in your black bin.

Plastic

• any plastic packaging or non-packaging items labelled as ‘compostable’ or ‘biodegradable’, including coffee pods – some of this packaging could be composted at home but may take a while to break down. Otherwise put in your black bin. Most Coffee pod manufacturers have details of their own recycling scheme either on or within the packaging. Otherwise put in your black bin.
• plastic bottles that have contained white spirits, paints, engine oils or antifreeze – if empty put in your black bin
• bulky rigid plastics such as garden furniture, bins and plastic toys – take to a Household Recycling Centre
• polystyrene (expanded and high impact) packaging such as packing beads – put in your black bin
• polyvinyl chloride (PVC) packaging – put in your black bin

Paper and card

• food and drinks cartons made of a fibre-based composite (these should be collected in the plastic stream) – put these in your green recycling bin
• absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) including nappies, period products and incontinence products – put these in your black bin
• cotton wool or makeup pads – put these in your black bin
• tissue or toilet paper – put these in your black bin
• wet wipes – put these in your black bin

Garden waste

• animal bedding – put in your black bin or take to a Household Recycling Centre
• bulky waste (including garden furniture and fencing) – take to a Household Recycling Centre, use a properly licensed waste carrier or use our Bulky Waste Collection Service.
• garden tools or other gardening equipment – donate to charity, local school or community group if still useable. If not take to a Household Recycling Centre.
• plant pots – these go in your green recycling bin.
• Plastic – plastic pots, tubs and trays go in your green recycling bin (except black plastic). Other types of plastic go in your black bin or to a Household Recycling Centre.
• Sand – take to a Household Recycling Centre
• Sawdust – this can go in your black bin
• stone, gravel or bricks – take to a Household Recycling Centre
• tea bags or coffee grounds – these can be composted in your home compost bin if you have one or put in your black bin.
• branches and trees over a certain size may have to be cut into smaller pieces to follow local guidance – we accept branches less than four inches in diameter in our garden waste bins (charge applies) or take them to a Household Recycling Centre.

Are you now fining people?

Another big piece of misinformation is the fact the new Simpler Recycling rules have introduced £400 fines for anyone disposing of items on the "banned list" or incorrectly recycling items.

This is not true. Councils already have the power to take action against people for deliberately contaminating their recycling through Fixed Penalty Notices. These are civil penalties not criminal fines and the penalty level is between £60 and £80. We can also only issue them after a written warning and only if someone is deliberately and consistently contaminating their recycling to the point it is causing a nuisance.

You will not get a Fixed Penalty Notice from us if you try to do the right thing and make a genuine mistake. Our approach is always to try and educate and support our residents to do the right thing, and the overwhelming majority of you are, which is why we have such a good recycling rate. Issuing Fixed Penalty Notices will always be our very last resort.

Help with your recycling

We hope this helps clarify any concerns you may have as a result of inaccurate national media reporting on this issue.

If you need help with your recycling then you can download the Wychavon Bin Hub app and search our database of thousands of items to find out how best to dispose of something. You can also use the tool online if you prefer. There is also the option to sign up for bin collection day reminders and test your recycling knowledge with our waste sorting game.