Tracking Progress: What England's waste data tells us about the road ahead

Waste policy in England is changing. The government's flagship Collections and Packaging Reforms (CPR) programme (a suite of policies first outlined in the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy) is now being implemented. Alongside this, the government is committed to shifting to a Circular Economy, establishing a Circular Economy Taskforce in late 2024 to develop a new Circular Economy Growth Plan.

The good news: There are clear signs of momentum that’s building. 

Across England, there are signals that businesses and policymakers are taking waste reduction seriously as new regulations are being rolled out to further nudge change towards less wasteful and more circular behaviours and practices. 

Looking at two priority waste streams, we can see the following: 

• Tackling plastic waste remains a critical priority for both government and industry, with voluntary efforts showing tangible results. The UK Plastics Pact has grown to 135 full members in 2024, up from 107 in 2022. During that time, the average recycled content across all plastic packaging in the UK has reached 28% (up from 24% in 2022/23). Building on this success, the initiative evolved into the UK Packaging Pact, launching in April 2026 to tackle all packaging materials, not just plastic.
• On food waste, 191 organisations had signed up to the UK Food and Drink Pact in 2025, and commitment to the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap has increased by 10% between 2023 and 2024. Public attitudes are shifting too: In 2023, 90% of people saw food waste as an important national issue, up from 87% the year before, and 93% believed everyone has a responsibility to minimise waste, according to research from WRAP.

Data from our research shows a foundation of voluntary action and shifting public awareness, which are needed to facilitate England’s journey towards a truly circular economy. Future research will explore whether wider shifts across the waste system will materialise in the next years, as the effects of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging scheme and the Simpler Recycling policy begin to bear fruit. 

Yet the data also reveals that challenges remain. 

In 2023, the quantities of main recyclable materials collected by Local Authorities – paper and card, glass, metal, plastics, and food – all experienced slight decreases compared to 2022. Glass collection fell by 5%, while paper, card, metal and plastics each dropped by 3%. Food waste sent for composting or anaerobic digestion declined by 1%.

Perhaps most striking is the ongoing confusion about what can and cannot be recycled. According to WRAP's 2024 recycling tracker, UK citizens dispose of an average of 5.6 items incorrectly at home on each disposal occasion – up nearly 4% from the previous year. Over half (53%) put items in general rubbish that could have been collected for recycling, while a staggering 82% placed non-recyclable items in their recycling bins. This isn't about a lack of willingness. Ipsos’ own nationally representative survey in 2023 found that over 80% of individuals said they always or usually recycle common materials like plastic bottles, cans, and cardboard, showing that the intention is there, but barriers remain. 

At the same time, fly-tipping incidents rose by 6%, with 1.15 million incidents reported in 2023-24. Waste crime remains a persistent challenge, not just at the individual level but also as organised waste crime presents a serious issue. Despite the rise in fly-tipping incidents, the total number of court fines for fly-tipping decreased by 8% and their total value fell by 7% in the same period, suggesting a potential decline in deterrence or enforcement capacity, which will have to be monitored going forward. 

What comes next?

The coming months and years represent a critical phase for waste policy in England. 

The full implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) for Packaging scheme (launched in 2025) creates a financial incentive to produce less packaging and design it to be more easily recyclable. The nationwide rollout of Simpler Recycling to all households from April 2026, aims to bring much-needed clarity and consistency for the public, directly addressing the public confusion over what can be recycled and expected to boost stagnant collection rates.

Our research shows that the journey to a circular economy is making progress, but also that there's considerable work ahead. With the major pillars of the reform programme now moving into place, the real test will be in the data we collect over the next few years, which will reveal whether this comprehensive suite of policies can accelerate England's progress on waste and recycling.

About this research

This research comes from the Year 2 Data Report for England, conducted as part of a wider process, impact and value for money evaluation of the Resource and Waste Policy Programme (RWPP). In 2022, Defra commissioned Ipsos UK, working with Technopolis and Ricardo, to conduct a robust evaluation of the RWPP through ongoing primary and secondary data collection with the general public, businesses, and Local Authorities. Both the Baseline Data Report for England and the Impact Evaluation Methodology were published by Defra at the end of 2024, as well as the Year 2 Data Report for England in December 2025 .