Defra’s Simpler Recycling Legislation: What Does Phase 2 Mean Ahead of the 31st March 2026
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) introduced the Simpler Recycling Legislation in March 2025 as part of its commitment to moving towards a zero waste, circular economy to create a future where we keep our resources in use for longer and reduce waste.
Simpler Recycling legislation standardises the materials that must be segregated before waste is collected in England, with the aim of making recycling more straightforward for businesses, households and non-domestic premises. This helps to improve the quantity and quality of materials for recycling as well as reduce the quantity of food and recyclable waste that is landfilled or incinerated.
What is happening during phase 2 by the 31st March 2026?
Phase 2 of Simpler Recycling will go live on the 31st March 2026, bringing significant changes for local authorities, households and service providers across England.
For organisations responsible for waste strategy, and for residents preparing for the change, understanding what phase 2 means is essential.
Waste collectors must collect the following types of waste separately from all households (including flats):
- 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)
What materials are included?
From 2026, households should expect to recycle a clear, standardised set of materials. These categories are consistent across government and industry guidance. Core materials include:
- Glass packaging (bottles, jars)
- Steel and aluminium (tins, cans, aerosols, lids, trays, foil)
- Plastic bottles (Polyethylene Terephthalate, Polypropylene, High-density Polyethylene).
- Plastic pots, tubs, trays (where in scope)
- Cartons (food/drink cartons)
- Paper and card
What materials are not included yet?
Some materials are still out of scope for mandatory collection at this stage, such as compostable and biodegradable plastics.
Plastic film and carrier bags are not part of the 2026 implementation, but current Government plans indicate flexible plastics will be added from 31st March 2027.
What are the benefits of phase 2?
- Reduced confusion: there will be clear and consistent guidance meaning you are able to recycle the same materials whether you’re at home, in school or at work. This should give people increased confidence to know what materials should be separated for recycling and ultimately helping reduce contamination.
- Better material quality: separating materials at source improves recycling quality and supports a strong UK reprocessing market.
- Circular Economy: this legislation will help achieve the UK’s goal to reach a 65% recycling rate and positively impact our collective journey towards net-zero.
What are the next steps for local authorities?
To limit the risk of confusion, local authorities should provide clear information to households about what can and cannot be recycled, what bins, or bags, materials should be placed in, and when to put materials out for collection.
From 31st March 2026, waste collection authorities includes any local authority responsible for collecting household waste. They must collect any recyclable household waste streams for recycling or composition where there is a duty to collect waste under section 45(1) (a) of the Environment Protection Act 1990.
How can Reconomy Connect support the transition?
Reconomy Connect works with organisations, authorities and businesses to stay compliant with evolving waste regulations by providing market-leading technology, real-time data visibility and expert guidance.
We can help you:
- Navigate complex environmental regulations
- Manage multiple waste streams with structured data-led reporting
- Access full waste documentation and reporting to support ESG and compliance requirements
- Implement circular resource strategies
For B&I enquiries please contact us on:
01952 292 000 | Biservice@reconomyconnect.com
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0800 028 2290 | housebuilding@reconomy.com constructioninfrastructure@reconomy.com