In just one year, the UK produces millions of tonnes of household waste. According to the latest UK waste statistics, households generated 25.9 million tonnes of waste in 2023.
Each person in the UK produces a substantial amount of household waste every year, including packaging, food waste, paper, glass, plastics and other materials. The way we use carrier bags has also changed significantly, particularly since the introduction of the single-use carrier bag charge.
Glass bottles and jars remain an important part of household recycling. In 2024, the UK recycled around 1.76 million tonnes of glass packaging, while paper and cardboard achieved one of the highest recycling rates of all packaging materials.
Waste paper and cardboard that might once have been buried in landfill can increasingly be recovered and recycled instead. Government figures show that paper and cardboard packaging continues to have a particularly high UK recycling rate.
There is still considerable potential to recycle more of what households throw away. In 2023, the UK household recycling rate stood at 44.6%. New recycling rules in England now require separate collections for food and garden waste, paper and card, glass, metal, plastics and other recyclable materials.
Commonly collected recyclable packaging now includes glass bottles and jars, cardboard, drink cans, plastic bottles, food tins and many other everyday household items. See the 2026 kerbside recycling list.