Wandsworth Residents Can Now Recycle More Items

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Aluminium foil, food trays, packaging tubes and aerosol cans included

The changes are part of a government programme to simplify recycling rules. Picture: Wandsworth Council

March 24, 2026

Households across Wandsworth will be able to recycle a wider range of everyday items from 31 March, as new national rules come into effect under the government’s “Simpler Recycling” reforms. The changes are designed to make recycling easier and more consistent across England, ending years of confusion caused by differing rules between local authorities.

From the end of March, residents can add aluminium foil, clean food trays, empty squeezy metal tubes such as tomato purée packaging, empty plastic tubes including toothpaste, and empty aerosol cans to their recycling sacks or communal mixed-recycling bins. These items join the existing list of materials already collected at the kerbside.

The council is reminding residents to rinse food containers before recycling and to avoid placing hazardous items — such as hypodermic needles — into household recycling, as these pose risks to collection and sorting staff.

The national reforms follow a period of significant progress in Wandsworth. Since June 2024, the borough has recorded a 25% increase in recycling, the largest rise it has ever achieved. That uplift represents more than 9,000 tonnes of additional material diverted from general waste, a shift the council attributes to improved services, clearer guidance and strong public engagement.

The new rules form part of a wider government effort to standardise recycling collections across England. For years, residents moving between boroughs or counties have faced different rules on what can and cannot be recycled, leading to contamination and lower recycling rates. The “Simpler Recycling” legislation aims to eliminate that confusion by ensuring that the same core materials are collected everywhere.

Local authorities have been preparing for the changeover by updating guidance, adapting collection systems and working with waste-processing partners to ensure the new materials can be handled safely and efficiently.

Wandsworth Council says it will continue to support residents through the transition, with updated information available online and through local communications. Officials say the expansion of accepted materials is a practical step that will help households recycle more of what they use every day, reducing waste and supporting the borough’s environmental goals.

Residents can find full details of what can be recycled — and how to prepare items correctly — on the council’s website.

To check your collection schedule, visit the council’s waste and recycling services page.

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