Simpler Recycling - Changes to household waste collections
All households will receive the following collection services from 31 March 2026:
- Mixed recycling - weekly
- Food recycling - weekly
- Other rubbish - weekly
- Garden waste - fortnightly, households with gardens only
This is due to new Simpler Recycling legislation requirements, and our commitment to:
- Improve recycling services
- Maintain weekly rubbish collections
Mixed recycling materials
The following materials will be added to the range of items that can be recycled using our clear sack and orange-lidded recycling bank services.
From 31 March 2026
- Aluminium foil and food trays - these must be clean with no food remnants
- Aluminium tubes - for example empty tomato paste tubes
- Plastic tubes - for example empty toothpaste tubes
- Aerosol cans - these must be empty
From 31 March 2027
- Plastic film packaging and carrier bags - until then, please recycle at larger supermarkets
Existing materials
This is in addition to the range of materials you can already recycle using our clear sacks and orange-lidded recycling bank services.
- Paper, card and cardboard - clean and dry
- Glass bottles and jars - clean
- Tins and cans - clean
- Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays - clean
- Cartons - for example Tetra Paks
Weekly food recycling collections
All households in Wandsworth must have weekly food waste collections from 31 March 2026.
We're committed to achieving this during 2025.
Houses with front gardens and driveways
Weekly food recycling collections commenced in June 2024.
Flats using communal bins
The roll-out of weekly food recycling collections for these households commenced in 2024 and is expected to be completed during the first half of 2025.
Households without off-street space
This includes flats above shops and other properties without off-street space to store rigid food recycling containers.
We'll assess these individually to identify the best solution for each location.
This may involve suitable on-street communal food recycling containers and/or timed collection appointments to avoid any need for on-street containers.
This is expected to be completed during the second half of 2025.
Weekly general waste collections
No changes are planned for this service, with all households receiving at least weekly collections. Some blocks of flats with communal bins receive two or three weekly collections due to a lack of space for waste storage.
However, the volume of general waste collected is expected to fall significantly due to increased recycling.
Garden waste collections
Simpler Recycling requires a fortnightly collection service to be offered by 31 March 2026. This service only needs to be provided in response to collection requests and can be a chargeable service.
We'll continue to accept up to five bags of garden waste from each household every week until a Simpler Recycling compliant service is introduced.