Swansea residents embrace new soft plastics recycling trial with over five tonnes already collected

Run by Swansea Council, the scheme allows around 20,000 households to recycle plastic bags and wrapping directly from home, including items such as crisp packets, bread bags and frozen food packaging. Until now, recycling these materials was only possible by taking them to designated supermarket drop-off points.

The trial is operating in 15 communities where household waste is collected on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and will continue until December 2025.

“So far, it’s estimated that more than five tonnes of plastic bags and wrapping have been collected from homes within the trial areas,” the Council confirmed in a recent update.

Cllr Cyril Anderson, Cabinet Member for Community, said: “Swansea is currently performing very well in terms of recycling, with the majority of residents making use of all the kerbside recycling collection services provided by the Council. We know there’s an appetite for residents to recycle more of their household waste, particularly soft plastic items like carrier bags, which currently get put in black bags.

“The trial will allow the Council to understand how plastic bags and wrapping can be included in existing kerbside recycling collections for all households in the future.”

Residents participating in the trial are encouraged to use blue recycling bags designated for soft plastics.

#CllrCyrilAnderson #kerbsideCollection #Recycling #softPlastic #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil

Council to trial soft plastic kerbside recycling scheme in Swansea

Currently, if residents want to recycle soft plastic items, their only option is to take them to their local supermarket, where recycling facilities are generally provided.

The council say the trial in Swansea will take place across 15 communities that have their household waste collected on a Tuesday and a Wednesday and includes around 20,000 homes. The trial will take place between April and December. 

In Swansea, the council say that residents already recycle around 70% of their household waste. Surveys have also shown that a large proportion of black bag waste is made up of soft plastic items.

During the next few weeks, residents in trial areas will be provided with a supply of blue recycling sacks, along with an information leaflet explaining all about the trial.

Cyril Anderson, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Community, said: “Swansea is currently performing very well in terms of recycling, with the majority of residents making use of all the kerbside recycling services, as well as putting out limited numbers of black bags.

“We know there’s an appetite for residents to recycle more of their household waste, particularly soft plastic items like carrier bags – which currently get put in black bag waste.

“The trial will allow the council to understand how plastic bags and wrapping can be included in existing kerbside recycling collections in the future.

“Households included in trial areas will get a delivery of blue coloured bags and information about the scheme.

“We have organised the trial so that all different types of accommodation are included, such as terraced streets and housing developments. This will give us a better understanding of the issues which arise from the trial in terms of collections.

“Ideally, our aim is for households to have the opportunity to reduce their black bag waste even further and boost our overall recycling rate.”

#kerbsideCollection #Recycling #softPlastic #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil

Last summer, Everyday Plastic volunteers placed tracking devices into 40 bundles of soft plastic packaging and dropped them at front-of-store collection points at Sainsbury's and Tesco supermarkets across England.

In our new investigation, we've been working with the Environmental Investigation Agency UK to reveal the hard truth about soft #plastic recycling points at supermarkets…

🔥 Of the tracked #SoftPlastic #packaging #waste collected for #recycling, 70% of the soft plastic that reached a final destination was burnt, not recycled

The rest ended up at recycling facilities that downcycle soft #PlasticWaste into lower value products – the majority of which were in Türkiye.

Environmental law charity ClientEarth warns that the results of the investigation show that supermarket soft plastic take-back schemes are misleading customers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-i0C_osbZY