Plastic Bags and Wrapping Recycling Trial Expanded to Reach 10,000 Households in Reading

THE NUMBER of Reading households participating in a pilot recycling trial with plastic bags and wrapping kerbside collections has more than doubled to 10,000 households.

As part of Reading Borough Council’s continuing efforts to increase recycling, 4,000 households have been participating in the Flexible Plastic Fund (FPF) FlexCollect trial since September last year.

Now, as an expansion of the scheme, around 6,000 more households from Reading are able to recycle their plastic bags and wrapping from home. This second phase of the scheme has been rolled out to selected collection routes, with a wider neighbourhood mix across the borough.

Since the trial began in Reading in September 2023 for 4,000 households, and in Bracknell in March 2024 for 10,000 homes, re3 has revealed that a combined 13 tonnes of plastic bags, wrappers and various packets have been collected from doorsteps. This volume is equivalent to over 3,250 wheelie bins (140l sized), helping to reduce the disposal cost and save the carbon footprint.

This trial is helping to reduce Reading’s carbon footprint, with the plastic bags and wrapping collected sent to a number of UK based recycling facilities to test different recycling methods.

Residents on the trial routes have received information about the collections in advance and given a pack of bags in which they can collect their plastic bags and wrapping. Once full, the bags are- tied securely and put inside their red recycling bin on their normal collection day.

The packaging that can be recycled for the trial includes all plastic bags and wrappers, such as confectionery wrappers, crisp packets, foil-lined packaging, plastic film and bubble wrap (no pouches).

Karen Rowland, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety, said:

“It's been really pleasing to see the blue bags flowing through the sorting belts at our re3 Material Recycling Facility, and we are pleased that more residents will benefit from this trial. It’s been extremely popular too, and I’ve had residents asking me how they can join in the trial. Sadly, I’ve had to disappoint a few as the streets selected needed to fit a limited, pre-selected criteria for the study.

“The kerbside collection of plastic bags and wrapping has a significant impact in a reduction of what’s left in residents’ grey waste bins, helping us recycle as much waste as possible.

“This trial will help us assess the feasibility of a full roll out ahead of anticipated legislative changes to compulsory collection of plastic bags and wrapping, currently advised for spring 2027. Meanwhile it’s good to know that, for those eager to recycle more, most of the larger supermarkets will take soft film and plastic wrap for recycling”.

                          

The trial is fully funded by the FPF and UK Government, and aims to understand how plastic bags and wrapping recycling works when collected from households on a large scale. This next phase will help councils, government and the waste industry understand what infrastructure will need to be put in place to allow all councils to offer these the collections in the future.

Residents who would like to recycle their plastic bags and wrapping who are not part of the pilot can take them to most large supermarkets when they do their regular shopping.

For more information about the trial, including a list of participating streets, please visit www.reading.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/plastic-bags-and-wrapping-recycling-trial/