Bin collections in England are changing significantly, with millions of people wondering if they will be affected.
The Government has announced that recycling in England will be standardised beginning in 2026, with all homes, businesses, and schools recycling the same materials.
There will also be a once-a-week minimum need for food trash collection, which the government claims will minimise the amount of food waste going to landfill.
The existing system, according to Environment Secretary Therese Coffey, is a “postcode lottery” in which people living in various places are unable to recycle the same products.
The District Councils’ Network (DCN), which represents many local authorities, stated that the reforms will increase council expenditures but applauded the move to give them freedom over how garbage is collected in their districts.
The Government stated that it intends to make recycling easier for people across England, with devolution allowing Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales to choose their own rules.
It also proposes that residue, or non-hazardous industrial waste, be collected every two weeks.
However, local governments are afraid that this would result in higher environmental costs elsewhere, such as increased fuel consumption in transportation.
Ms Coffey said: “Simpler recycling will help us all recycle more easily, doing our bit to help save the planet and make the best use of precious resources that we use every day.
“Alongside weekly food waste collections, we are ending the postcode lottery of what you can put in your bin so that wherever you live in the country, you will be able to recycle the same products with confidence.”
It is also thinking about expanding these laws to include houses of worship, jails, charity stores, and residential hostels.
Ministers also want to provide every property free garden trash collection instead of giving councils discretion over whether to charge or not, while the DCN warned that this would result in people who do not use the service subsidising those who do.