Home - Collection Conference 2026

Municipal waste collection is now operating inside the reality that last year's conferences were only preparing for. Simpler Recycling is live, EPR payments are flowing, and digital waste tracking is moving from pilot to expectation rather than experiment. The Collection Conference 2026 cuts through the noise with a single day of practical briefings, case studies and peer discussion built for people who have to make these changes work on the ground, not just understand them in theory.

Get the latest policy and regulatory updates directly, including what's now expected of authorities post-Simpler Recycling rollout
Understand how EPR payments are landing in practice, and what that means for budgets and contracts through 2027
Hear real evidence from recent collection trials, including flexible plastics and cartons, and what it means for service design
See what digital waste tracking looks like once it moves out of pilot phase and into day to day operations
Review technology and fleet innovation that's actually deployable now, from route optimisation to electrification
Learn from operational case studies covering food waste in flats and other high density housing challenges
Network with local authority officers, contractors, policy teams and technology suppliers facing the same pressures as you

Simpler Recycling in practice
With Simpler Recycling now in force, the focus has shifted from preparation to delivery. This session looks at how implementation is actually landing for local authorities, what compliance now looks like in practice, and the knock-on effects for business waste collections.

EPR funding and RAM expectations
A look at how Extended Producer Responsibility payments are flowing into local authority budgets, what RAM (Recycling and Awareness Media) expectations mean for councils, and how to plan contracts and funding around this new reality.

Digital waste tracking
As mandatory digital waste tracking moves from pilot projects into standard practice, this theme covers what's now expected of authorities and contractors, and how to build tracking requirements into day-to-day operations.

Vapes, batteries and fire risk on collection rounds
A hot topic for operational teams: the growing safety risk posed by vapes and lithium-ion batteries ending up in collection streams, and what's being done to reduce fire incidents on rounds.

Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and collections
What DRS could mean for existing kerbside and municipal collection services, and how authorities and contractors should be planning for its impact.

Flexible plastics: collection and end markets
Practical guidance on preparing services for flexible plastics collection, alongside a look at where the end markets currently stand for this material stream.

Fleet electrification
An honest look at what's realistically deployable now in fleet electrification, from procurement considerations to on-the-ground operational experience.

Case studies: EEE, Podback and sector progress
Real-world examples covering whether EEE collections are worth the investment, the next phase for Podback as a producer responsibility scheme, and a wider snapshot of where the collections sector stands today

The Collection Conference 2026 is designed for anyone responsible for planning, delivering or improving municipal collection services, including:

Local authority waste officers working on service design, compliance and day-to-day delivery
Contractor operations and strategy leads managing collection rounds, fleet and service contracts
Procurement and policy teams shaping how councils buy and structure collection services
Collection technology and fleet suppliers offering route optimisation, tracking, telematics and electrification solutions
Sector bodies and trade associations with a stake in collection policy and best practice
Producer responsibility scheme representatives working across EPR, DRS and related compliance areas

If you're involved in navigating Simpler Recycling, EPR, digital tracking or the operational realities of running a collection service in 2026, this conference is built for you.