Thousands of homes to trial kerbside recycling of plastic bags and wrappers

Nation.Cymru staff

Thousands of households are to take part in a new trial allowing plastic bags, wrappers and other soft plastics to be recycled from the kerbside.

Cardiff Council will launch the scheme on October 13, initially covering 21,000 homes in parts of Whitchurch/Tongwynlais, Grangetown, Trowbridge and Rhiwbina.

Households included in the pilot will receive rolls of red bags for collecting soft plastics, along with information explaining how the scheme works, from September 28.

The trial is expected to be rolled out across the rest of Cardiff next year if successful.

Plastic bags and wrapping currently account for almost 6% of the waste put into black bins and bags in the city.

The council estimates around 3,000 tonnes of soft plastics could potentially be recycled each year. Recycling all of it could increase Cardiff’s recycling rate by as much as 1.6 percentage points, although the authority expects the new scheme in practice to add between 0.4 and 0.7 percentage points.

Cardiff currently recycles 64% of its household waste.

Under the trial, residents will be asked to put clean plastic bags and wrapping loosely into the new red bags.

Once full, the bags should be tied securely with a double knot and placed inside the household’s reusable red recycling sack on top of metals, plastics and cartons for collection on the usual recycling day.

Items which can be recycled will include carrier and bread bags, crisp packets, biscuit and sweet wrappers, frozen food bags, pasta and rice bags, cereal box liners, plastic delivery bags, cling film and bubble wrap.

Food and pet food pouches, polystyrene, fruit and vegetable netting, plastic straws and cutlery, disposable gloves and masks, batteries and vapes will not be accepted.

Rigid plastics including bottles, pots, tubs and trays should continue to be put directly into reusable red recycling sacks.

The council said data supplied by recycling organisation WRAP showed 63% of waste currently placed in Cardiff’s black bins and bags could be recycled, including food waste and other recyclable materials.

Similar soft-plastic trials in Swansea and the Vale of Glamorgan recorded an average participation rate of 61%, according to the authority, with 98% of residents viewing the collection positively.

Cllr Ed Stubbs, Cardiff Council’s cabinet member for frontline services, said: “In line with the data supplied by WRAP, we can clearly see the opportunity to increase the city’s recycling rate further by collecting soft plastics from the kerbside.

“Although participation and material capture rates will vary, we estimate that the scheme could increase the recycling rate by between 0.4% and 0.7%, making an important contribution to our recycling ambitions.”

Easier

He added: “Residents already do an excellent job recycling, helping the city achieve its current recycling rate of 64%, but we know we can do even better.

“This new service will make it easier for people to recycle more of their waste from home, helping us further reduce the amount of waste placed in black bins and bags.”

Residents in the four wards will be able to check online whether their household is included in the pilot.

Those not yet covered by the scheme are being advised to continue taking plastic bags and wrapping to participating supermarket recycling points where possible until the service reaches their area.

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