What is the new 4 bin rule?

"Four bin rule" is the press name for Simpler Recycling, the English rules that make workplaces separate their waste. The four are general waste, food waste, paper and card, and the other dry recyclables (plastic, metal and glass). In law it is three streams, because paper and card may be collected with the other dry recyclables if your collector has assessed that it works; many collectors ask for them separately, which is where the fourth bin comes from. Workplaces with 10 or more full-time-equivalent staff have had to comply since 31 March 2025; smaller ones have until 31 March 2027. Glass is a dry recyclable in the rules, but most collectors, including us, want it in its own bin.