England’s new weekly food waste rules hit councils' readiness gap
England’s new weekly food waste rules hit councils' readiness gap
England implements weekly food waste collections, but many councils aren’t ready, prompting continued Defra support as households adjust the rules.
From 31 March, councils must collect the following separately: food and garden waste; paper and card; other dry recyclable materials (glass, metal and plastic, including cartons); and residual waste. The aim is to introduce weekly food waste collections for all homes and to reduce landfill and greenhouse gas emissions, while making recycling clearer for households.
Yet, dozens of councils say they are not ready to offer weekly food waste collections yet. An earlier investigation suggested about 79 English councils — roughly a quarter — did not expect to meet the deadline, highlighting gaps in equipment and funding needs as the policy rolled out.
Defra has provided more than £340m in grants and says it will continue to work with local authorities and the wider industry, offering targeted support to help address outstanding issues.
Wrap described the reform as the biggest shake-up in England’s recycling policy in 20 years. The policy aims to turn food waste into electricity, cut greenhouse gases, and encourage people to waste less food in the first place as part of a broader move to improve recycling.
Before the changes, roughly half of councils did not collect food waste weekly, while some had weekly collections for more than a decade. The shift seeks to make waste collection more efficient and environmentally friendly, though the rollout remains a work in progress as authorities adjust to new vehicle needs and funding constraints.
