Households face new bin rules after ‘avalanche of rubbish’ in streets

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Households and workplaces must now sort their rubbish into four bins under new rules to streamline waste disposal and stop an “avalanche of rubbish” ending up in streets, rivers and seas. New guidelines for bins have been set out to bring in a universal standard whereby all areas will have the exact same rules, which environment secretary Steve Reed said would end the “fiasco” of families and businesses in some areas having to sort refuse into seven different bins. The four containers will be for: residual waste food waste paper and card all other dry recyclable materials open image in gallery Environment secretary Steve Reed said the new rules would tackle the ‘wild west’ of rubbish disposal Changes are set to start taking effect from 31 March 2025, when businesses will need to arrange for the collection of their recyclable waste under the new rules. The report found that 3.2 million tonnes of packaging were put into recycling bins, 2.3 million tonnes were put into residual – or “black” bins, and 70,000 tonnes were mistakenly put in with food waste.