Four out of five English local authorities without kerbside plastic film recycling collection are gearing up to launch by 31 March 2027

Plastic resource efficiency and recycling charity Recoup has published its annual UK Household Plastic Packaging Collection Survey, revealing that, of the English local authorities not yet offering kerbside flexible plastic packaging collections, four in five (78%) plan to do so on or before the Simpler Recycling deadline of the 31 March 2027. 

However, many appear to be leaving it late. Two thirds (67%) expect to introduce the service in early 2027, with almost half (47%) targeting the deadline day itself. Meanwhile, one in five (22%) say they do not intend to have a service in place by the required date.

Across the UK, progress to capture plastic film material remains slow. As of April 2025, only 16% of local authorities tell residents they can recycle plastic films at kerbside, a modest 2% rise on the previous year. All but one of the new adopters are in England, suggesting the change has been driven largely by upcoming legislative requirements. In 2024, just 31,000 tonnes of plastic film was estimated to be collected for recycling out of 420,500 tonnes placed on the market, equating to a 7% collection rate.

While initiatives such as the FlexCollect project demonstrate that collecting and sorting flexible plastics can work, a lack of economically viable recycling end markets remains a critical barrier. The 2025 Recoup Survey shows 60% of local authorities not currently collecting plastic films and flexibles have little confidence they can find end markets, and even 29% of those already offering kerbside collections share this concern. Stable and scalable end markets are an essential part of providing a cost effective collection service.

The recycling, or reprocessing, sector is also feeling intense commercial pressure. UK recyclers are struggling to compete with low cost imports of virgin packaging and unverified recycled content packaging, produced in countries with far lower operating costs. Addressing this imbalance, as well as making the UK a competitive, attractive location for recycling investment, remains a complex challenge.

The report highlights positive movement elsewhere. Kerbside collections of plastic pots, tubs and trays have seen a significant 4% increase, with 93% of local authorities offering this service. This is again likely influenced by Simpler Recycling in England legislation mandating their collection by 31 March 2026, however, the report found that 8% of English local authorities were still not collecting these formats. One hundred percent of UK local authorities continue to collect plastic bottles, a milestone first reached in 2019. 

Local authorities are making significant efforts to communicate changes to their populations. Some 83% plan to run waste or recycling communication campaigns between mid 2025 and April 2026 with information regarding changes linked to the Simpler Recycling reforms being one of the most common themes, alongside introduction of a new service, and reducing contamination. Significant inconsistency remains in messaging, including around asking for lids to be on or off bottles, packaging to be empty, rinsed, washed, flattened or squashed. Clear and consistent messaging remains essential in order to maximise material capture and ensure suitability for reprocessing.