From April 2026, the UK will change the rules around plastic recycling, introducing a major overhaul of how household waste is collected.
The good news is that more plastic will be recycled from kerbside collections as the government’s ‘Easier Recycling’ scheme continues to roll out.
For households, this means what can and cannot be thrown in the bin, and the number of bins outside your home may increase.
Read more: Bin collection rules are changing for everyone in 2026, here’s what you need to know
Official figures show recycling rates have been “flat” since 2015, stuck at around 44-45%. The government hopes to increase this figure to 65% of municipal waste by 2035 through a series of initiatives.
Claire Shrewsbury, director of insights and innovation at plastics recycling campaign group WRAP, said: “Simpler Recycling will deliver on its promise to make recycling easier. It will remove the postcode lottery for what can and cannot be recycled, with all local authorities recycling the same core materials.”
“It will help people develop new habits around recycling because these habits will be reflected in our workplaces that now recycle in the same way.”
What are the current rules?
Currently, the rules vary from council to council and can be quite confusing.
Products that are often, but not always, accepted for recycling include drinks bottles, milk containers and plastic tubs (such as margarine). However, items such as plastic food trays from supermarkets may be rejected if they still have plastic film on them, which is not recyclable.
Clearly, many households are still confused: less than two-thirds of UK households (58%) are confident they are putting the right items in their recycling, and only 9% are very confident, according to recycling tracking research by plastics charity WRAP.
More than four in five (82%) of us put the wrong items in our recycling bins, potentially contaminating recycled goods.
Recyclables at material recovery facilities. (Alami)
What changes will happen to plastic recycling in 2026?
Simpler Recycling is an ongoing UK government initiative to simplify waste collection for households and businesses.
From 31 March, all households will have four receptacles for residual (non-recyclable) waste; food waste (mixed with garden waste where applicable); paper and card; and all other dry recyclable materials (plastic, metal and glass).
Read more: A staggering amount of plastic is thrown away by each household every year
Food waste will also be collected weekly in each council area.
The key change is that everything will be standardized across every council area – almost all bottles, jars, tubs and trays will be recycled, regardless of what plastic they are made of.
This was not previously the case, with some council areas and recyclers refusing to accept pots, basins and trays made from a variety of substances.
Food and drink cartons will now also be recycled everywhere (they are not currently recycled in many council areas).
However, any plastic labeled “compostable” or “biodegradable” will still not be recycled in kerbside plastic collections, nor can it be thrown away with food waste for composting.
This includes popular items such as coffee pods, which are a problem for recyclers because they contain a variety of “composite” materials and are small and difficult to recycle.
Specialist recycling organizations are popping up to handle coffee pods, such as Podback – you can find out how to recycle in your area on their website.
Another key (and common) plastic that cannot be recycled is polystyrene, the white “foam” often used in packaging.
What changes in March 2027?
From March 2027, the rules are changing again and councils will collect flexible plastics, which generally refers to packaging that bends easily and can be made from single and multi-layer materials. Examples of this include plastic bags, wrapping paper, and anything else that “squeezes.”
Since paper is recycled separately, recyclers will be able to process flexible plastics separately, which avoids problems at recycling plants.
Soft plastics make up almost a quarter of household plastic packaging, but previously they were difficult to recycle in kerbside collections, meaning only 7% were recycled, WRAP said.
What else is the UK doing to curb plastic pollution?
The government’s upcoming drinks container deposit return scheme will come into effect on October 1, 2027, with major supermarkets set up collection points for glass bottles, plastic bottles and metal cans.
Consumers are required to pay a deposit for the bottles, which will be refunded when the bottles are handed in for recycling.
The government is also consulting on a further ban on single-use plastics, including plates, cutlery and polystyrene cups.
Read more: A staggering amount of plastic is thrown away by each household every year
Another measure the government has implemented is the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, which comes into effect in October 2025. The new tax requires companies to report extensive information about the contents and quantities of packaging they place on the market.
The tax is levied on any company that produces packaging for home purchase and disposal, including retailers and brands.
This means that in effect, plastic companies will pay councils to collect the plastic, which will then be purchased by recyclers.
Merchants have warned that 80% of the cost of the new packaging tax is likely to be passed on to consumers.
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