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Written question asked by Tristan Osborne (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 September 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 4 September 2025. It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 September 2025 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Packaging: Compost

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent guidance his Department has provided to local authorities on the (a) collection and (b) disposal of independently certified BS 13432 compliant compostable packaging.

Answer

Under Simpler Recycling, local authorities and other waste collectors are required to collect the following recyclable waste streams from all households and workplaces in England: glass, metal, plastic, paper and card, food waste (and garden waste from households only). These measures apply from 31 March 2025 from workplaces, 31 March 2026 from households and 31 March 2027 from micro-firms (with less than 10 FTEs).

In May 2024, Parliament made the Simpler Recycling Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024 [1] and Government published guidance [2] that included a description of the materials in scope of collection within each of the recyclable waste streams required for collection under Simpler Recycling in England.

During our call for evidence on bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics, concerns were highlighted by the waste and recycling industry over the suitability for recycling biodegradable and compostable plastics. Consequently, the guidance set out that packaging labelled ‘compostable’ or ‘biodegradable’ cannot be recycled with food waste, nor be collected within the plastic recycling waste stream.

Biodegradable and compostable plastics will also not be included as a separate recyclable waste stream in the amended Environmental Protection Act 1990, and we do not propose to include these materials in any of the other recyclable waste streams. Plastic packaging materials labelled as “compostable”, or “biodegradable” are not generally collected for recycling as these materials can contaminate mechanical recycling streams; therefore, should be placed in the residual waste stream. However, we do recognise the valid role compostable plastics play in some applications and closed-loop contexts (e.g. where they are able to be collected and processed correctly at an industrial composter).

[1] The Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024

[2] Simpler recycling: workplace recycling in England - GOV.UK

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
74373
Session
2024-26
Registered interest declared
Yes
Subjects
Compost Packaging
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk