𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Homeowners have been told that some common items are banned from putting in waste caddies which have now been distributed to most of England under new rules. The change which has now come into force is part of the Simpler Recycling scheme which aims to boost recycling rates and cut the amount of waste sent to landfill or incineration.

Under the scheme, councils should have brought in rules meaning people will have a minimum 4 bins for different recycling and waste – food and garden waste, paper and card, all other dry recyclable materials (glass, metal and plastic, including cartons) and residual waste (non-recyclable waste that is sent for energy recovery or to landfill).

Some councils have not been able to meet the deadline, but all should have it in place by the end of the year. One of the major changes is around food waste – but officials have warned that people could be fined for putting the wrong things into the new caddies – and some food items including drink, oils, fats and soups are banned.

People are asked to use food waste caddies to recycle:

• Fruit and vegetable peelings
• Tea bag and coffee grounds
• Leftovers and out of date food
• Bread, cakes and biscuits
• Eggs and dairy produce
• Meat and bones
• Rice, pasta, beans

Councils generally will provide a roll of caddy liners in your caddy pack, which we recommend you use to line your kitchen caddy before they start to fill it up. When it’s full people are asked to put in the outside caddy.

Generally councils are saying if the wrong items are in the caddy they’ll leave it behind. Claire Shrewsbury, Director Insights and Innovation at climate action NGO WRAP said it was hoped that the food waste change would make the most difference: “Simpler Recycling is the biggest shakeup in recycling policy in England in twenty years. Now, wherever you are you’ll have the same service at home, at work, and when out and about.

“We’re a nation of recyclers, but most households put two or more items in the rubbish each week that could be recycled – because of confusion. Making recycling simpler will help end this and if we all recycled one more trigger spray each week, we’d save enough energy to power every home in Birmingham for a year.

“Food waste is where we’ll see the big win. It’s difficult to prevent all food waste and so recycling one kitchen caddy of unavoidable food waste could power your fridge for 18 hours, and a whole truck would keep that fridge cool for five years. Recycling is good for the environment and the economy, and Simpler Recycling will make things easier for all of us as well.”

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said: “We are ending the bin collections postcode lottery and making it easier for people to recycle wherever they live.

“Simplifying these rules will cut out carbon, clean up our streets, and help bring pride back into our communities.

“We will continue to work hand-in-hand with local areas to deliver these changes and ensure there’s more recycled content in the products we buy.”