Hundreds of households across Bath and North East Somerset will receive a new reusable red bag to trial a simpler way to sort plastics and metal for recycling.
Image © B&NES Council
Residents chosen to take part in the 12-week trial will have the bags delivered to their homes in the week beginning 24th February and can begin to use it to recycle household plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, and metal packaging such as tins, cans, foil, and aerosols.
The aim is to make it easier for residents to sort materials and store containers, which in turn will help streets stay cleaner.
Bags take up less space than boxes and will benefit households with limited storage space.
The trial areas have been chosen to reflect the diverse types of properties and housing density within Bath and North East Somerset.
In Bath, the roads selected for the trial are Coxley Drive in Larkhall, Vernham Grove in Odd Down, Lymore Gardens in Southdown and Lansdown Crescent at Lansdown.
Reusable recycling bags are already used successfully in other areas including Bristol, Somerset and Devon.
Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: “It’s due to the fantastic commitment of our residents that we recycle more than 60% of our household waste and send just 3% to landfill, but we appreciate that sorting it can be time consuming.
“The red bag trial aims to make it easier for residents and collection crews to sort the plastics and metals, as well as reduce litter and spillage on collection day as the bags are sealable.
“Other local authorities have found bags to be a good solution for recycling storage and collection as they are cheaper and take up less space than boxes.
“Well-sorted recycling can also be sold for more money, which helps to cover collection costs and fund vital local services.”
The trial will run until 23rd May. Residents taking part will be asked to fill in an online or paper survey to give their feedback.
During the trial, the council will also monitor the quality of recycling from trial roads, levels of litter before and during the trial, assess the ease of use and storage and gather feedback from collection crews.
The results will be presented to the council’s cabinet in the summer, together with a recommendation report.
Residents in the trial who need any additional help can email [email protected] or call 01225 394041.
