New bin rules have been introduced for households across England. Going forward, people have been told they can leave metal lids and caps on glass containers before they are thrown away to reduce the chance of them being "lost".
This comes following new rules that came into effect on March 31, earlier this year. The new rules state that different types of waste must be collected separately. These mandatory and uniform recycling requirements for businesses and households in England have been introduced under the Environment Act 2021. If households fail to follow the new recycling changes, they could face their waste not being collected.
It also means Local Authorities must provide clear guidance about what can and cannot be recycled.
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The government website states: "From 31 March 2026, by default, waste collectors must collect the following types of waste separately:
- food and garden waste
- paper and card
- all other dry recyclable materials (glass, metal and plastic, including cartons)
- residual waste (non-recyclable waste that is sent for energy recovery or to landfill)
"All these types of waste must be collected from all households (including flats)."
It also highlighted that plastic film packaging and plastic bags must be collected with plastic recycling from March 31 2027.
Alongside this, paper and card will be collected with other dry recyclable materials.
The government guidance states that certain glass items are not mandatory to collect; this includes:
- candles
- drinking glasses
- flat glass
- glass cookware (such as Pyrex)
- light bulbs and tubes
- microwave plates
- mirrors
- vases
- window glass
- ceramics, such as crockery or earthenware
Households should check with their local authority if they are unsure about the new rules, as councils have the power to decide how they collect different materials.
On lids, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' guidance states: "Metal lids and caps on glass containers (for example, metal jam jar lids) can be left on and recycled with glass.
"Putting the lids or caps back on glass jars and bottles and recycling them with glass reduces the chance of them getting lost through the sorting process."
Recycle Now said: "Empty and give a quick rinse. Leftover liquid can contaminate other recyclables, which may mean they aren't recycled.
"Put lids and caps back on. This reduces the chance of them getting lost during the sorting process as they can be recycled separately."
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