Regulation

Scotland's Biodegradable Municipal Waste Landfill Ban – in effect from 1 January 2026. Food, paper, card, textiles and garden waste are banned from Scottish landfill, though SEPA has deferred enforcement until January 2028 owing to a 600,000-tonne capacity shortfall.

WEEE Online Marketplace Obligations – in effect from 1 January 2026. Online marketplaces facilitating EEE sales from non-UK sellers must register with the Environment Agency and meet WEEE producer obligations.

Simpler Recycling Phase 2 (England) – in effect from 31 March 2026. All English local authorities must provide weekly food waste collections and kerbside collection of core dry recyclables.

Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility – modulated fees from 1 April 2026. Fees use a Red/Amber/Green recyclability rating; red-rated packaging pays 1.2× the base rate, rising to 2.0× by 2028/29.

Landfill Tax Lower Rate More Than Doubles – from 1 April 2026. The lower rate rises from £4.05 to £8.65/tonne (113% increase); standard rate £130.75/tonne. Scotland and Wales have matched these rates.

EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (Northern Ireland) – applies from 12 August 2026 via the Windsor Framework. Northern Ireland must comply with EU recyclability assessment, harmonised labelling, PFAS limits and recycled content targets not shared with Great Britain.