51 tonnes of plastic bags and wrapping out of the bin

Somerset is one of ten councils taking part in the national, Government-backed FlexCollect trial and the latest figures show that 51 tonnes have been collected in the trial area in and around Frome.

That equates to preventing around 217,000 15-litre bags full of plastic bags and wrapping from being binned since May 2023, and instead being turned into new products and packaging.

Around 26,000 residents in the east of the county are involved in the trial. The plastic packaging is collected for recycling with residents’ weekly kerbside collections. Residents are asked to fill bags with packaging including, crips packets, bread bags and plastic netting.

Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council Lead Member for Transport and Waste, said:

“It has been great to be part of this trial. We know our residents take recycling seriously and we can help to prove the worthiness of collecting these materials for recycling.

“It’s been truly incredible to see how much has been collected. Somerset residents are always forward thinking and ahead of the curve when it comes to sustainability and keeping our county clean”.

Matthew Canning, Contract Director at SUEZ recycling and recovery UK said:

“Collecting 51 tonnes of flexible packaging highlights the potential for diverting more waste into recycling and moving towards a more circular economy. The engagement from residents has been really encouraging. We are really proud to be part of this pioneering initiative and look forward to continuing this trial.”

As part of the Government’s new Simpler Recycling law, collection of plastic bags and wrapping will be expanded across the county and all households in the UK will need to be offered the service by April 2027.

Recycled plastic bags and wrapping can be used to make a range of new plastic products such as, plastic packaging, ‘bags for life’, boxes, bins, and agricultural and construction materials.

The trial was part of a larger £3m Flexible Plastic Fund ‘FlexCollect’ project, which involved ten local authorities across England, and aimed to inform government and industry on how plastic bags and wrapping should be added to existing household collection services.

Residents who are not part of the trial can take their plastic bags and wrapping to local recycling points, often found in supermarkets. Recycle Now’s search function can be used to find locations.