In a nutshell
- ♻️ Consistent kerbside collections: standardised acceptance of paper & card, plastic bottles/pots/tubs/trays, metals, and glass, plus wider rollout of weekly food waste caddies.
- 🚫 Clear exclusions: soft plastics, batteries, vapes, greasy fibre, black plastic trays, and cookware glass; use retailer and civic take‑back schemes for tricky items.
- 🧼 Preparation matters: quick rinse and drain, lids back on bottles, flatten boxes, keep paper dry, and set items out loose—if in doubt, leave it out.
- 🔥 Safety first: batteries and vapes never go in any bin; drop them at supermarkets or CA sites to prevent fires and protect crews.
- 🗂️ Quick-reference help: a simple table clarifies accepted vs. not accepted items; use approved compostable liners and put out the food caddy weekly to cut odours.
Starting this January, households across the UK face a tighter, clearer regime for what goes in each bin. The aim is simple: reduce contamination, boost recycling rates, and make life easier at the kerb. Expect fresh labels, standardised materials lists, and a renewed push on weekly food waste collections. Some changes are small—like leaving caps on bottles—others are bigger, such as stricter rules on soft plastics and batteries. The message is practical, not punitive. Put the right stuff in the right container or your whole box may be rejected. Here’s what the new rules mean, how to prepare your waste, and the pitfalls to avoid on bin day.
What Changes at the Kerb From January
The headline change is the consistency drive. Households will see a near-uniform list of accepted materials: paper and card (together), plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, metal tins and cans, plus glass bottles and jars. In many areas, weekly food waste caddies become standard, with lockable lids to contain smells. Soft plastic films and wrappers are out at the kerb unless your council explicitly says otherwise. Another shift: crews want items loose, not in black bags. If you use a clear sack, keep it untied so staff can check the contents quickly and safely.
Rinsing matters, but perfection is unnecessary. A 10‑second swill and drain prevents mould and protects paper. Keep lids on plastic bottles—this stops them dropping through sorting machinery—and squash bottles and cans to save space. Cardboard must be dry; wet or greasy fibre can spoil a whole bale. Some councils now accept empty aerosols with other metals. Check the label: remove pumps from soap or lotion bottles; triggers on sprayers are usually fine. And remember the cardinal rule: if in doubt, leave it out.
To make sense of the refreshed lists and avoid last‑minute guesswork, use this quick reference before you wheel out the bins.
| Bin/Box | Accepted | Not Accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Paper & Card | Newspapers, magazines, cardboard boxes (flattened) | Greasy pizza boxes, wet paper, tissues |
| Plastics | Bottles, pots, tubs, trays (rinsed) | Plastic film, crisp packets, coffee pods, black plastic |
| Metals & Glass | Cans, tins, empty aerosols; bottles and jars | Broken glassware, cookware, batteries, vapes |
| Food Waste | All food scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds | Liquids, packaging, compostable plastics without guidance |
New Rules on What Stays Out of the Recycling
Contamination is the budget breaker. Councils now stress that a few wrong items—especially soft plastics, batteries, and greasy fibre—can spoil tonnes of otherwise good recyclate. Black plastic trays remain problematic because sorting machines struggle to detect them; treat them as general waste unless your local list says otherwise. Paper cups are still out at the kerb in most places; use store take‑back points or specialist bins. For pizza boxes, tear off the clean lid to recycle and bin the oily base. One greasy box in a stack can condemn the entire load.
High‑risk items are under the microscope. Batteries and vapes cause truck fires and put crews in danger. They never belong in household bins—recycling, general, or garden. Supermarkets and civic amenity sites now provide battery and vape drop‑off points; many electrical retailers accept small WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) for free. Keep textiles, hoses, and cables out too; they tangle machinery. Glass cookware and drinking glasses are not the same as bottles and jars; different melting points make them contaminant, not commodity.
Then there’s wish‑cycling. Compostable and “bioplastic” packaging looks green but rarely suits kerbside systems. Unless your council explicitly includes them, treat these as general waste or put them in your food waste caddy only if the council guidance allows. If a label says “industrially compostable”, that does not mean it’s kerbside recyclable. Before bin day, spend 30 seconds with your council’s app; you’ll save time, money, and needless waste.
How to Prepare Waste So It Gets Recycled
Success now hinges on simple habits. Give containers a quick rinse, shake them dry, and put lids back on. Flatten boxes so they fit the box or bin without jamming the truck. Keep paper and card separate from anything wet; a carrier bag roof over your paper box on rainy mornings helps. Labels are fine—no need to peel. Remove film lids from trays, then recycle the rigid tray if accepted. Empty aerosols go with metals; do not pierce or crush. For glass, stick to bottles and jars only. Rinse, drain, and keep paper dry—these three steps do the heavy lifting.
Food waste deserves special attention. Use the council caddy and, where allowed, compostable liners carrying the seedling logo. No liners? Wrap peels in newspaper. Freeze meat and fish scraps until collection day to prevent smells and flies. Coffee grounds and tea bags are welcome; check whether your council asks you to snip or remove plastic tea‑bag staples. Never pour liquids into the caddy—excess moisture makes a mess and weakens liners. Set it out weekly even if it’s half full; regular turnover reduces odours and keeps foxes uninterested.
Two final wins: squash plastic bottles and metal cans to save space, and avoid bagging your recycling. Crews need to see what’s inside. Hidden waste equals rejected waste. If an item still confuses you—black trays, coffee pods, foil pouches—search your council’s online A–Z. The guidance now updates frequently, and many areas run mail‑back or retailer take‑back schemes for tricky materials.
Change can feel fiddly, yet the benefits are real: cleaner streets, lower council costs, and warmer homes as recycled materials feed UK manufacturing rather than landfill. The new regime sets a higher bar but also gives clearer instructions, from weekly food waste to the hard stop on batteries in any bin. Small habits, multiplied across millions of homes, shift the national recycling dial. You now have the tools—and the table—to get it right on autopilot. What tweak will you make this week to ensure your household’s recycling actually gets recycled?
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