Recycling

 The Government's recent Simpler Recycling reforms have been made to improve recycling collection services and provide more national consistency. The impact will vary depending on the collection services already in place. Within Surrey, the impact on collections should be relatively small as many districts and boroughs have food waste and recycling services in place.  

What additional items can I now put in my recycling bin? 

From your next recycling collection, these are the additional items that you can recycle. Please make sure all items are clean before putting them in your recycling bin 

• cartons such as juice and plant milk cartons 
• empty aerosol cans 
• foil 
• foil trays 
• non-black plastic plant pots 
• squeezy metal tubes such as tomato puree tube 

How will this affect Runnymede residents  

Everyone will have to recycle!

• By April 2026, all residents should have access to a weekly food waste collection. Food waste collections will continue as normal.
• The service will be expanded to include residents living in blocks of flats or properties where there are communal bin stores where the service is not currently in place.
• Dry mixed recycling will continue to be collected together from your blue/blue-lidded bin. The legislation does allow for materials to be co-collected.
• We are not planning to issue any further bins or containers for paper & card or glass recycling, so there’s no change here. 

How will this affect businesses 

All businesses and relevant premises, including healthcare establishments and academic institutions will be required to separate the following materials for collection. 

• Food waste (Please note there is no minimum quantity)
• Cardboard and paper 
• Glass, metal and plastic  

Businesses with more than 10 employees should already be compliant. Small businesses with fewer than 10 full-time employees are temporarily exempt until the 31 March 2027. 
 
View the WRAP guidance (Business of Recycling) for further information. Guidance is organised by business sector to give you the most relevant advice. 

Why These Changes Matter 

Most Surrey areas already collect food waste, so the change here will be small. Expanding the service simply makes sure everyone can recycle their food waste, helping to cut disposal costs and care for the environment.