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Recycling: Standards

Asked by Dr Luke EvansConservativeDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 8 September 2025UIN 71138

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his policies on recycling rates in (a) England and (b) Leicestershire.

Answered by Mary Creagh

Simpler Recycling will ensure every household and workplace (businesses and relevant non-domestic premises like schools and hospitals) across England will be able to recycle the same materials in the following core waste streams: metal, glass, plastic (including cartons), paper and card, food waste, and garden waste (for households only).

The Collection and Packaging Reforms, which also include a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR), are estimated to increase the municipal recycling rate from around 42% to over 55.9% by 2035, mostly driven by Simpler Recycling and DRS. pEPR achieves further increases in packaging recycling rates of 2%. We do not have projected recycling rate increases for individual local authorities.

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