New recycling scheme for 10,000 city homes ahead of Wales-wide changes

Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter

The start of a new recycling service for carrier bags, crisp packets and other soft plastics begins for thousands of residents this month, ahead of wider changes in Wales.

Around 10,000 Newport homes are included in the first phase of the new service, aimed at reducing the amount of residual waste the city council collects.

In most of Wales, current recycling options for soft plastics and films are typically limited to collection points at larger supermarkets – but a major shift will be introduced nationally in 2027.

“The new service will make it easier for all of us to recycle things like crisp packets, carrier bags, plastic wrapping and cereal box liners – to name a few,” said Cllr Yvonne Forsey, the cabinet member for waste services.

The city council said households included in the first phase of the new service will all receive a roll of clear sacks and an information leaflet explaining what can – and can’t – be placed inside them.

Those residents are then asked to fill the sacks with loose soft plastics, and then tie the sack and place it in their normal red recycling bag for collection with their other recycling.

According to the council, the rest of the city’s households will begin using the service next year, which since 2025 has been the Welsh Government’s target year for councils to incorporate soft plastics into their collections.

“Wales is a world leader in recycling, ranked second globally and first in the UK and our course of action on plastic film has not changed,” a Welsh Government spokesperson said.

“The separate collection of plastic film from households is already included in our collections blueprint, and we are working with councils and industry to roll out plastic film collections in 2027.

“This includes building the systems needed to process flexible plastics, keep materials in use and support green jobs in Wales.”

Currently, councils are expected to recycle 70% of the waste they collect, and the government has powers to issue fines for non-compliance.

Newport is one of the best performers for recycling, at a current rate of around 71%, but the council estimates soft plastics account for around 8% of what ends up in city residents’ bins.

Cllr Forsey said she believed people in Newport “want to go further” with recycling, and was confident residents would “play their part” in the new soft plastics scheme.

Emma Hallett, from the waste reduction charity WRAP Cymru, called the new service in Newport “a positive step forward”.

She said soft plastics are used “almost ubiquitously” in food packaging, and recycling options are “currently restricted to front-of-store collection points at larger retailers”.

“Next year this will change, and many millions of people will begin to receive collections at their kerbside,” she said.

Newport Council said the soft plastics it collects will be turned into new products including bags for life and bin bags.

“We need to build up both demand for this material, and supply – by capturing more that would otherwise go to landfill or incineration,” said Ms Hallett. “Of course, the ultimate goal is to remove as much soft plastic as possible, such as by selling more fresh fruit and vegetables loose.”

Ahead of the full rollout in Newport, the council has asked residents not included in the first phase to continue taking their soft plastics to specialist recycling collection points, such as at larger supermarkets.