What are the new recycling rules in 2026?

The new recycling rules in 2026 are Simpler Recycling, which reaches households this year and the smallest workplaces next year. By 31 March 2026 every council in England has to collect the same core materials from homes, with a weekly food waste collection. Workplaces with 10 or more full-time-equivalent staff have had to separate dry recyclables, food waste and general waste since 31 March 2025, and workplaces with fewer than 10 have until 31 March 2027. Dry recyclables are plastic, metal, glass, paper and card; your collector may ask for paper and card in a separate container. For a business the practical change is a food bin where there was none and a recycling bin that is used properly.