Councils say government's plan for 'National Bin Service' with SIX types of ... trends now
The UK government's plans to introduce consistent waste collection policies across England could prove unworkable, councils have warned.
The details of major government reforms to waste collection in England are expected to be confirmed later this week, according to waste management sources.
They are expected to make all councils collect food and garden waste, as well as metal, plastic, paper and cardboard.
Local authorities will be required to collect the recyclable waste streams separately unless it is not technically or economically practicable.
This could mean in some cases an increase in the number of bins households are expected to use for their recycling.
The UK government's plans to introduce consistent waste collection policies across England could prove unworkable, councils have warned
Businesses, schools and offices will also be expected to recycle dry materials and where feasible separate food waste.
The government said standardisation will increase recycling rates and simplify waste management.
But council leaders criticised the proposed changes.
Peter Fleming, the Conservative leader of Sevenoaks District Council in Kent, said the reforms would mean more bin lorries on the roads and do nothing to encourage household waste reduction through behavioural change.
'The idea that standardisation - a national bin service - is the way forward makes absolutely no sense,' he told the BBC.
Waste management is largely a devolved matter in the UK, with the administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland setting their own policies.
At the moment, councils in England have discretion over how and when waste is collected from households and businesses.
But last year, the government passed a new law that required a consistent set of recyclable waste materials to be collected separately from all households and businesses.
The Environment Act, which became law in 2021, also requires that food waste collection must take place at least once a week.
The government also wants councils to collect garden waste for free, but give them the right to charge for this beyond the basic service.
Progress on recycling across the UK has shown little progress in recent years, with the rate in England remaining around the 45 per cent mark since 2015.
The government said standardisation will increase recycling rates and simplify waste management
The UK government has
