Conducted on behalf of waste company FCC Environment, a new YouGov poll has revealed that 70% of adults in England are unaware of the upcoming changes to recycling. FCC Environment is urging the government to launch a public awareness campaign to ensure the policy has the greatest possible impact.

Simpler Recycling policy will come into effect in April 2026, standardising what can be recycled across the UK. Households will have three bins – a dry recycling bin, a food waste bin and a residual waste bin. In their consultation summary back in 2023, Defra said the policy would “make it easier for people to do the right thing, maximise use, minimise waste and drive up recycling rates.”

However, with almost three-quarters of adults in England unaware of the policy changes, FCC Environment’s head of external communications, Julie Fourcade, explained that “there is a real risk that a lack of public awareness could undermine the government’s recycling efforts and do very little to boost the UK’s stagnant recycling rates.”

The poll also revealed that there is confusion amongst a high percentage of adults in England over what materials can be recycled. When asked what materials would be recyclable under the Simpler Recycling policy, 24% selected fabric, 20% selected wooden waste and 4% selected hazardous waste. None of these are included in plans for the Simpler Recycling scheme. 

Julie Fourcade added that once the policy changes come into effect, it should also be the responsibility of manufacturers to reduce confusion. She said: “Extending producer responsibility for the packaging it places on our shelves is closer to becoming a reality, and this should herald a move toward packaging that is simpler to recycle. Alongside this, clearer labelling instructions – which will require a simple ‘Recycle’ or ‘Do not recycle’ message – are set to come into force in 2027. But early adopters can do their bit to help improve recycling rates in the short term.”