Simpler Recycling: England's Flexible Collections to be Delayed to 2030

The government has confirmed this evening (16 July 2026) that the mandatory collection of plastic films and flexible packaging will be delayed to 1 April 2030. All local authorities in England were expected to start collecting these materials from the kerbside from 31 March 2027 under the Simpler Recycling regulations. Defra has confirmed that the requirement will be pushed back to 2030, after the industry expressed concerns over valid end markets. It is understood that the official Simpler Recycling regulations will be updated in the next parliamentary period. The legislation applies to material such as crisp packets, bread bags and “bags for life”.

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