Overview
- The Simpler Recycling rules, in place since March 2026, require weekly food-waste pickups and give households an indoor caddy and a 23‑litre lockable kerbside bin.
- Accepted caddy items include plate scrapings, raw and cooked meat and fish, dairy, bread and cakes, tea bags and coffee grounds, pet food, rice and pasta, and fruit and veg.
- Councils say not to put in any packaging, liquids, cooking oils, garden waste, soil, nappies, sanitary items, or non‑certified bin bags because these contaminate collections.
- Which? notes most areas do not accept compostable packaging and warns that contamination can see bins left uncollected or lead to fines of up to £80.
- Implementation is uneven as some areas plan bin deliveries later this year, with Recycle Now advising people to check council sites for dates and liner rules, and most collected food going to anaerobic digestion to make biogas and fertiliser.