Many households will see changes to how they recycle cardboard and paper in the coming weeks, when the next phase of the government’s new recycling scheme comes into force. From 31 March, new rules will roll out across England as part of the ‘Simpler Recycling’ scheme, with the aim of enabling consistent, streamlined collections from all households in a bid to boost recycling rates. It means local councils will collect a standardised four bins from most households, consisting of: residual (non-recyclable) waste food waste (mixed with garden waste if appropriate) all other dry recyclable materials (plastic, metal and glass) Government statistics show that recycling rates have effectively ‘flatlined’ since 2015 – stuck at around 44%-45%. The government hopes to raise that figure to 65% of municipal waste by 2035, and separating paper and cardboard is a key part of this. The changes mean that any household that currently recycles paper and cardboard in a main recycling bin will soon need to put into a dedicated container. Why are paper and cardboard separated? Paper can become …