New bin rules for millions of homes across England explained

Millions of households will follow new bin rules from next year, as confirmed by the Government. By March 31, 2026, local authorities must collect "core recyclable waste stream" from all households in England, and will introduce weekly food waste collections for most homes.

This week, North Lincolnshire Council announced a "major step forward" in delivering its new simpler, smarter recycling service. Some 70,000 new burgundy bins will be rolled out, ahead of the 2026 launch of the new waste scheme.

The new 240-litre recycling containers will support the introduction of a fully co-mingled recycling collection system - one bin for all recyclables, making it easier than ever for residents to recycle more and waste less, council chiefs said. Cllr Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, explained: "This is about delivering what matters – simpler services that make life easier for residents – and will help us drive up our recycling even higher.

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"We've an excellent record on recycling, and this investment builds on that success, ensuring every household is ready for the move to simpler, smarter recycling." The change is part of the simpler recycling legislation introduced by the previous government.

The cost of the new bins will be covered in full through funding already secured from Department for Environment, meaning there is no additional cost to local taxpayers. In North Lincolnshire, the new burgundy bins will take the place of the current boxes and bins used for recycling.

With this new system, every household will have a single, larger 240L recycling bin (burgundy) for all dry recyclable materials, a weekly garden and food waste collection in one bin, and a fortnightly general waste bin (grey/green) for anything that can't be recycled.

North Lincolnshire residents can expect to receive their new bins in the new year, before the new system is implemented at the end of March. Different councils may operate on different timelines, though they are all required to implement similar systems by the specified deadline.