The trial will take place between April and December to see what impact the change has on collections in the areas chosen to take part
A Welsh council is trialling a new kerbside recycling scheme which will see soft plastic items such as crisp packets, plastic food wrapping and plastic carrier bags collected from homes as part of household waste collections. Currently, in Swansea, 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 Swansea Council trial will take place across 14 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, residents already recycle around 70% of their household waste. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here.
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.
Swansea Council’s cabinet member for community, Cyril Anderson, said: “Swansea is currently performing very well in terms of recycling.
“The majority of residents are 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.”
More information about the trial can be found by clicking here.
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