Defra has pushed back against media reports that households could face £400 fines for recycling 37 ‘prohibited’ items as part of Simpler Recycling reforms.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has called reports in the Daily Mail, Sun and Mirror, that Simpler Recycling introduces new £400 fines for incorrectly recycling items, ‘completely false’.
Defra also clarified that the new policy does not ban households from disposing of everyday items, and the items cited in the reports are listed as not in scope for specific recycling streams under Simpler Recycling.
Local authorities can issue fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for household waste offences, such as repeatedly putting waste items in the wrong bin, but the fine is between £60 and £80, and can only be issued after a written warning and where incorrect presentation is causing a nuisance.
Any penalty for incorrect presentation of household waste in England is a civil penalty, not a criminal fine.
Defra said most of the items referenced in the reports can still be placed in household residual waste bins, while some items, such as batteries and electricals, must be taken to appropriate collection points.
A Defra spokesperson said: “From March, every household in England will receive weekly food waste collections and will have the same materials collected for recycling.”
“Local authorities will continue to deliver services in a way that works best for their area, but these reforms will end the postcode lottery of bin collections and help keep our streets cleaner.”