Households across England will see changes to recycling bin collections in 2026, as part of a new scheme designed to streamline waste management.
From the end of March 2026, local councils will be required to collect four types of waste separately, which means some households may get extra bins to separate waste.
This forms part of the ‘Simpler Recycling’ scheme, designed to simplify how households recycle and streamline bin collections.
The news comes just one month after business leaders warned that some London boroughs may cut back on bin collections amid a reduction in council funding due to be implemented next year.
So what will this mean for people in London?
Here’s what you need to know.
What are the recycling bin rules for 2026?
From March 31, 2026, waste collectors will be required to collect four different types of waste separately from homes across England.
This means that households will have four bins: some for recyclables and others for non-recyclable waste. The four categories are:
- food and garden waste
- paper and card
- all other dry recyclable materials (glass, metal, and plastic, including cartons)
- residual waste (non-recyclable waste)
All of this must be collected from households, including flats and apartments, which may have shared or communal bins.
From March 2027, councils will also be required to collect plastic film packaging and plastic bags for recycling.
What does this mean for London?
According to the Greater London Authority, around 7m tonnes of waste is produced across homes, public buildings, and businesses every year.
The new rules, implemented from April 2026, will lay out a national standard for how we recycle waste in England.
London households should check with their local council for specific guidelines on any upcoming changes to recycling.
According to Antony Buchan, head of local authority support at ReLondon, the simpler recycling scheme planned for 2026 will help streamline processes and make recycling easier for Londoners.
“Simpler recycling is a great thing for Londoners, as it means that we’ll all have access to the same recycling services, no matter where we live in the capital,” he told The Standard.
“London is ahead of the game as most councils already provide the right services to the majority of their residents – and over the coming months, they’ll be working to address any remaining service gaps (for instance providing food waste recycling to people living in flats above shops).”
Encouraging Londoners to also get into the habit of more recycling, Mr Buchan added: “But just having a good recycling service from the council doesn’t guarantee high recycling rates, and London (like all densely populated urban areas) faces particular challenges, such as lots of us living in flats with a communal bin set-up.
“Getting into the habit of recycling at home – particularly food waste, which gets turned into green energy or compost when it’s recycled – is just as important as having a good council service. With the new year approaching, it’s a great time to set positive intentions to recycle more. You can find out more about what you can recycle and how at londonrecycles.co.uk.”
