These regulations will expand the regulation of district and communal heat networks, which may supply heating, cooling and/or hot water to customers.

Authorisations will ultimately be required to operate these networks. Binding standards of performance may be applied in the future.

These regulations will implement the simpler recycling initiative. From 31 March 2025, most organisations must segregate dry-mixed recyclables, food waste and residual waste into separate containers. Paper and card may also need to be presented separately. Waste must be kept and processed separately by collectors.

From 31 March 2026, separate collections will be required from households.

This order will amend the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Order 2020 to update rules on the full or partial cessation of operations at UK ETS installations.

Cessation notification requirements will be updated, alongside rules on recalculating the free allocation of UK ETS allowances for sub-installations that permanently ceased operations.

These regulations established a new process for the notification, granting and administration of end-of-waste decisions in Ireland.

The end-of-waste process reclassifies waste materials as a secondary resource, removing them from waste controls and aiming to facilitate re-use.

These regulations will require decarbonisation readiness to be demonstrated in environmental permit applications for combustion installations, waste incinerators, specified generators and medium combustion plants in England.

This condition will be met through viable Carbon Capture Readiness (CCR) or Hydrogen Conversion Readiness (HCR).

This policy update confirms details of standardised separate collections of waste from businesses, other relevant non-domestic premises and households in England. 

From 31 March 2025, separate residual, food waste and dry mixed recyclable collections will be required from businesses and relevant non-domestic premises as a minimum.

Where the waste collector has not undertaken a written assessment concluding that co-mingled collections of paper and card with other recyclable streams are acceptable, paper and card will also need to be collected and processed separately.

These regulations will introduce a deposit return scheme for single-use closed bottles and cans made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, steel or aluminium that contain between 150 millilitres and 3 litres of a drink. The deposit scheme is due to operate from 1 October 2027.  

Separate legislation will apply schemes in Wales and Scotland.

Amendments by these regulations will partially relax the ban on direct emission heating systems for heating or hot water in buildings constructed or subject to a building warrant after 1 April 2024.

The prohibition will not apply to heating designed to use bioenergy, biomass (including wood) or peat. The use of direct emission heating systems is also allowed for ‘secondary heating’ purposes.