England’s New Targets: DEFRA Steps In
DEFRA’s new Simpler Recycling reforms, introduced in 2023, require all English councils to standardise collections across six core waste streams by 2026. Weekly food waste collections will become mandatory, alongside separated dry recyclables like paper, glass, and plastics.
This shift aims to boost England’s stagnating household recycling rate, currently hovering around 44–45%. Councils are also preparing for DEFRA’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, due in 2025, which will shift the cost of managing packaging waste from taxpayers to producers. With more accountability and funding tied to performance, reducing contamination and improving collection quality has never mattered more.
With six separate waste streams to manage, including food, paper, glass, and plastics, the logistics of collecting, sorting, and transporting materials are becoming more complex. Recycling bags offer a practical, low-cost solution compared to bulky boxes or single-use plastic bags. They're reusable, easy for residents to store and carry, and can be clearly labelled to support correct sorting. For councils looking to stay compliant without blowing the budget, kerbside recycling bags are the most flexible, efficient option available.
Wales: Leading the Way with Clear Strategy
The Welsh Government continues to set the pace, achieving over 65% household recycling and aiming for 70% by 2025. Their “Collections Blueprint” uses weekly, sorted kerbside collections supported heavily by recycling bags for plastics, cans, tins, paper, card, batteries and more.
Wales’s approach proves what’s possible when councils standardise processes and invest in simple, effective collection tools. Recycling bags help reduce contamination, save space, and increase collection efficiency all critical for maintaining Wales’s place as the UK’s top recycler.
Boxes, Sacks, Bins or bags: What works best?
For English, Welsh & Scottish councils, kerbside recycling bags remain the best all-round solution. Compared to boxes or rigid bins, bags are cheaper to produce, easier to distribute and store, and more convenient for residents especially in urban or space-limited areas. Unlike single-use sacks, they’re reusable, durable, and widely accepted across the UK. Their flexibility, low cost, and proven success in councils nationwide make them the most available and popular choice for meeting recycling targets efficiently.
