The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the mandatory collection of plastic films and flexible packaging will be postponed until 1st April, 2030.
This information, provided to local authorities, states that the required kerbside collection of these materials from both workplaces and households will now take effect on that date.
‘Simpler Recycling’ rules require local authorities in England to collect food and garden waste, paper and card, all other dry recyclable materials, such as glass, metal and plastic, including cartons, and residual waste.
The kerbside collection of plastic film and flexibles was originally expected to become mandatory by 31st March 2027.
Local authorities are concerned about introducing collections for these materials. LARAC (Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee) highlighted the absence of domestic end markets and insufficient sorting and reprocessing infrastructure as reasons to delay the policy.
However, the FlexCollect project found that kerbside collections of flexible plastics are popular and easy to implement.
Gareth Rollings, Chair of LARAC, said the delay reflects concerns that local authorities have raised about the readiness of the wider recycling system and the financial and operational consequences for local authorities.
“Councils remain committed to delivering effective recycling services, but they need a system that is properly funded and supported by viable sorting, reprocessing and end-market capacity.
“The additional three years must now be used constructively by the Government and industry to build that infrastructure and provide local authorities with the clarity they need to plan,” Rollings commented.
However, Robbie Staniforth, Chief Policy and Impact Officer at Ecosurety, was critical of the delay and called it a ‘sad day for recycling’.
“Further delaying mandated collections will not in itself create end-markets,” Staniforth said. “The markets have had four years of advanced warning, and throughout that period investor confidence in flexible plastic recycling remained low.
“Today, that investor position has been justified. Delaying for a further three years is unlikely to improve their confidence.”
Noel Marques-Neves, Operations Director at HAHN Plastics UK, said: “It’s disappointing that household flexible plastics collections are delayed. While increasing recycling is vital for a circular economy, collection alone isn’t enough. The Government must also improve sorting, reprocessing, and end markets to avoid straining the waste sector.
“This delay offers a chance to develop the infrastructure needed for FlexCollect to succeed. We’ve worked with industry partners over the past two years to prepare, and now the focus should be on enhancing supply chains and processing capacity before collections begin.
“We believe recycling infrastructure deserves the same attention as other critical infrastructure. With investment across the recycling supply chain, the UK can create a stronger system to collect and recycle flexible plastics into valuable products.”
Last year, the FlexCollect project concluded that flexible plastic collections at kerbside are popular with the public and easy to implement.
The Flexible Plastic Fund’s (FPF) project found that flexible plastic packaging can be incorporated into all collection service types with ‘relative ease’ through the use of collection bags, or loose in dry mixed recycling collections when appropriate sorting infrastructure is available.
The FPF FlexCollect report consolidates over three years of learning from trials across 10 UK local authorities. Over 400 tonnes of flexible plastic packaging were collected from 160,000 households as part of the trials, making it the largest project of its kind in the UK.
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