The UK Government has listed a number of everyday household items that councils in England are not required to collect for recycling when placed outside homes on bin day. These include various common products such as different types of glass, metals, plastic and paper and card — items you might have thought would be recycled.
The Government has also delayed by three years a regulation that was set to be introduced early next year. From March 2027, all English local authorities had been expecting to collect plastic bags and film from every household. These are presently only recycled by a limited number of councils and most residents must take them to a supermarket to have them recycled. However, the Government has chosen to postpone the introduction of compulsory plastic film collections for workplaces and households until April 2030.
England’s new Simpler Recycling regulations came into force in March 2026. They made it explicit that local authorities must now collect the following types of waste separately:
- food and garden waste
- paper and card
- all other dry recyclable materials (glass, metal and plastic, including cartons)
- residual waste (non-recyclable waste that is sent for energy recovery or to landfill).
The purpose behind the new rules was to standardise waste collection nationwide and increase recycling rates. The Government stated it aimed to put an end to the “muddled and confusing patchwork of approaches to bin collections” that resulted from different local councils operating under different rules, creating widespread confusion about what could be recycled in various areas. They were also intended to guarantee more products are recycled and high quality recycled material can be obtained domestically.
It is worth remembering that, despite the new rules, there may still be variations in what different councils are able and unable to recycle so check your local council rules if in doubt.
There are numerous items local authorities are not required to collect for recycling, which can be divided into six main categories. They are not obliged to collect any glass not utilised as packaging. This includes:
They are not obliged to collect the following metal products:
- laminated foil, like pet food pouches and coffee pouches
- electrical items and batteries
- general kitchenware like cutlery, pots and pans
- kettles
- irons
- pipes
- metal packaging that has contained white spirits, paints, engine oils or antifreeze
They are not obliged to collect the following plastic products:
- any plastic packaging or non-packaging items labelled as ‘compostable’ or ‘biodegradable’, including coffee pods
- plastic bottles that have contained white spirits, paints, engine oils or antifreeze
- bulky rigid plastics such as garden furniture, bins and plastic toys
- polystyrene (expanded and high impact) packaging such as packing beads
- polyvinyl chloride (PVC) packaging.
They are not obliged to collect the following paper and card products:
They are not obliged to collect the following food products:
- any plastic packaging or non-packaging items labelled as ‘compostable’ or ‘biodegradable’, including coffee pods.
They are not obliged to collect the following garden waste products:
