Simpler Recycling

On 21st October 2023 the government released the response to the 2021 consultation on consistent collections. This consultation had 896 responses. Since the consultation consistent collections has become Simpler Recycling.

What is Simpler Recycling?

All local authorities must collect the same recyclable waste streams: paper and card, plastic, glass, metal, food waste and garden waste.

Non-household municipal premises must also collect the same materials (except garden waste) and present in accordance with the arrangements.

An exemption will be granted for all councils in England to offer just 3 waste containers for dry recycling, food waste and residual waste (+ optional garden waste). Previously materials had to be collected separately unless it was could be proved not to be possible via a TEEP (technically, environmentally, economically practicable) test.

There will be a minimum frequency of at least fortnightly for residual waste collections.  

Timescales

Households: 31 March 2026 (film from 31 March 2027) and microfirms (less than 10 full-time equivalent – FTE- employees).

Municipal premises: 31 March 2025 (film from 31 March 2027)

What does Plastic cover?

Included within Plastic is:

• Plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET, including amorphous, recycled PET), polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE)
• Pots, tubs and trays made of PET (including amorphous, recycled and crystalline PET), PP (including expanded PP) and polyethylene (PE)
• PE and PP plastic tubes larger than 50mm x 50mm
• cartons for food, drink and other liquids, including aseptic and chilled cartons
• plastic film packaging and plastic bags made of mono-polyethylene (mono-PE), mono-polypropylene (mono-PP) and mixed polyolefins PE and PP, including those metallised through vacuum or vapour deposition (to be included from 31 March 2027)

It states that the Secretary of State may add to these materials.

Further consultation

There are two further consultations:

1. A private consultation on co-collection exemptions and statutory guidance for Simpler Recycling to support Local Authorities.
2. A consultation on expanding the list of non-domestic premises and additional reporting requirements for digital waste tracking to report on which materials are comingled.

The full response is available here.

Waste Carrier, broker and dealer registration changes

In January 2022 the government consultation on reforms to the waste carrier, broker and dealer registration system in England to help tackle fly-tipping. The response to this consultation has been released which sets out the changes which will take place.

Current terminology will be simplified to ‘waste controller’ and ‘waste transporter’. There will be legal responsibilities assigned to each of these.

Existing registration with ‘standard rules’ environmental permit or a registered exemption will be replaced with three permits:

1. Waste controller
2. Waste transporter
3. Waste controller-transporter

Permits will differentiate based on:

1. Scale of operation
2. Type of waste carried

Waste controllers and transporters will full under the Environmental Permitting Regulations giving more flexibility for enforcement.

When applying for a permit an up front payment of an application fee and subsistence fee (to cover compliance costs) will have to be paid. The application fee will be retained if the application is unsuccessful. Chargeable permit renewals will take place every 3 years.

What to do if you hold a permit or exemption

Upper tier – you will need to apply for the relevant permit when your registration is due for renewal

Lower tier – you will need to register for an exemption or permit within 12 months of the system going ‘live’

Other changes

These include:

• Permit numbers needing to be displayed on advertising and made available to the regulator.
• People who transport or control more than a certain volume of construction or demolition waste, or waste subject to higher level of control, which they produce via their businesses will need to apply for the relevant standard rules permit.

The full response if available here.